Tanoto Scholars are doing their parts to contribute to a better Indonesia in the future, by not only improving their knowledge and skills through Tanoto Foundation, but also through international leadership programs.

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Melinda Mastan, Tanoto Scholar from the University of Indonesia, joined the Young Leaders Access (YLA) program in New York from July 23 to August 1, 2019. At the event, Melinda learned about social project management.

“I am fortunate to be a participant of Tanoto Foundation’s TELADAN program because I get to participate in many beneficial activities, such as attending leadership workshops and running social projects with other Tanoto Scholars. More recently, I had Tanoto Foundation’s support to attend the YLA program.”

Melinda.

To be selected as an YLA 2019 participant, Melinda – who majors in Nutrition Science – first had to submit an essay about the stunting issue in Indonesia and the steps which can be taken to reduce it.

Next, Melinda had to take on a field survey challenge, which involved conducting research on people who are potentially affected by stunting. When she interviewed kindergarten teachers and parents in the Pademangan area of North Jakarta, she found that many of them did not fully understand the issue of stunting and its negative impact on children’s development.

In the final stage, Melinda had to present her survey findings via video conference. After going through three stages of selection, she was finally selected as one of the YLA participants along with 28 other people from 20 countries.

“This workshop not only improved my leadership skills, but I also learned a lot of about project management. I was also able to network with participants from other countries,” she said.

SMU Global Summer Programme

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Besides Melinda, six other Tanoto Scholars also had the opportunity to attend the Singapore Management University (SMU) Global Summer Programme in Singapore from July 3 to 26, 2019.

The SMU Global Summer Programme is a student exchange programme organised by SMU in collaboration with 200 educational institutions around the world.

Below are the testimonials from the Tanoto Scholars:

Leon Vin, Bandung Institute of Technology

During this programme, I gained new knowledge beyond my area of study as I learned about management and economics, and its relevance in Singapore.  I was also happy to meet many great people from various countries.

Dufeldip Kaur, North Sumatra University

I wanted to take the opportunity to expand my global network, as 200 participants from 31 countries participated in this programme. Besides that, I also hoped to further develop myself. One of the most memorable moments was when we met Dr. Kevin Cheong, one of Singapore’s leading tourism experts. I gained a lot of insight into how Singapore has been developing tourism to attract foreign tourists.

Muktabar, Gadjah Mada University

The Global Summer Programme was a very interesting event, which got us to think about the latest problems that the world is facing. The visit to the Urban Redevelopment Authority was very memorable as I saw how it has created a very detailed and sustainable development plan for Singapore. This program also inspired me to pursue further studies overseas as well as to work abroad.

Sanchia Amaral, Bandung Institute of Technology

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This programme provided me very valuable lessons. First, I came to understand Singapore’s multicultural society. Secondly, I was able to visit the Google office, where we were had to answer the question “Why am I extraordinary”. From this simple activity, I was able to better understand my own potential. I now understand that every person has the potential to become extraordinary.

Samuel Herin, Hasanuddin University

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I thought the programme was very beneficial, especially when I met a person who works at a unicorn startup company and was able to gain new insights, namely that critical thinking and problem solving are skills that are essential for Industry 4.0. I am now focused on honing these skills in being ready to face this latest industrial revolution.

Hanabeni Desta, Gadjah Mada University

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This event was very fun and allowed me to improve my English skills. The most memorable activity for me was when took the ‘Legal Environment of Business’ class which is in line with my law major. During this class, we were taught by a professor who encouraged interactivity and teamwork through group projects.

Participants of Tanoto Foundation’s PINTAR program recently showcased the results of their training during an exhibition held in Kendal, Central Java on July 31.

Organised by Tanoto Foundation in collaboration with the Kendal Regency government, the event saw the attendance of 26 partner public schools and Islamic schools, as well as Walisongo State Islamic University.

PINTAR (Promoting Improvement to Innovate, Teach and Reach) focuses on the implementation of active learning and improving school-based management, reading culture and community participation at partner schools.

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Belinda Tanoto, member of the Tanoto Foundation Board of Trustees, was among those present at the event. She said the good practices demonstrated by the participating schools is proof that the PINTAR training has been beneficial to them, and the schools will hopefully be able to inspire other schools to carry out similar good practices.

“I am very happy to see that the students are of high spirit – they’re very confident about displaying the learning outcomes they have gained in class and this is what we are expecting.

“We want children in Indonesia to be able to access quality education, as we believe quality education accelerates equal opportunity,” Belinda said.

At the event, students exhibited projects that showcased the active learning skills they have acquired from teachers using PINTAR’s MIKiR (Experiencing, Interaction, Communication and Reflection) learning method in the classroom.

One such project was a hydrostatic pressure experiment by students of SMPN 1 Bransong, who were observed to be adept at explaining to booth visitors that hydrostatic pressure is dependent on depth, gravitational force, liquid density and liquid type.

The increase in community participation at the partner schools was also a highlight of the exhibition, which showed how communities are lending support to school quality improvement programs such as through the provision of active learning needs or books to the schools.

Meanwhile, dr. Mirna Annisa, Regent of Kendal, expressed her appreciation to Tanoto Foundation for its implementation of relevant training which supports the creation of quality learning in Indonesia.

“Thanks to increasing concern by the private sector about education quality in Indonesia, I believe that human resources in Kendal and the country will be better and more advanced in the future,” Mirna said.

Tanoto Foundation recently had the opportunity to share its experiences in implementing programs which are in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) during a national training session held on July 24 and 25 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Organised by the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) in collaboration with the Association of Indonesia Municipalities (APEKSI) and the European Union (EU), the aim of the training was to increase the capacity of local governments in implementing the SDGs nationally.

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This two-day training session was the second of its kind, following an inaugural event in 2018. This year’s training involved 30 local government officials from 16 provinces and 14 cities throughout Indonesia.

During the session, Tanoto Foundation showed how it focuses on developing and advocating programs, as well as fosters an environment which is conducive to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 SDGs.

Among this is its PINTAR program, through which the Foundation has established partnerships with 14 municipal and district governments in five provinces in Indonesia: North Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, Central Java and East Kalimantan.

These partnerships are formed as part of a collective effort to improve the quality of education in Indonesia. The PINTAR program trains and encourages school leaders, teachers and committees to improve school management, as well as learning and reading habits in schools.

“Based on our portfolio of Indonesia’s education system, we have determined it is one of the most complex systems in the world, involving more than 50 million students, 2.6 million teachers and 250,000 schools. We realise that collaboration with other parties is required if we want to improve the quality of education in Indonesia, which is in line with the SDGs principle that development is the shared responsibility of all stakeholders.

Tanoto Foundation therefore acts as a catalyst for partnerships, both with the government and the private sector, as well as other partners in developing and generating progressive ideas which will bring broader and deeper impact.”

Satrijo Tanudjojo, Global CEO of Tanoto Foundation.