Tanoto Foundation first disbursed scholarships to students in Singapore in 2006. To date, the proud members of the Tanoto Scholars community who studied in Singapore have reached 156.

In 2020, we awarded a total $740,000 in scholarships in Singapore. In that year, there were 45 active Tanoto Scholars, 23 of them having renewed their scholarship.

Tanoto Scholarships are disbursed based on a host of criteria including merit and character. We take a keen interest in the development of our scholars, closely tracking and supporting their higher learning journeys, and exposing them to experiential learning opportunities and workshops and seminars on leadership development. We endeavour to nurture a generation of leaders armed not only with technical competencies but the soft skills and temperament to contribute to their communities.

Every now and then, we receive heart-warming letters of gratitude from our Tanoto Scholars. These remind us of why we continue to do what we do – help and inspire a generation so they may be better placed to pay it forward and inspire another generation.

Here is a small selection of letters that document the challenges, opportunities and hopes of our Tanoto Scholars in Singapore. We sincerely hope these will inspire all of us to continue contributing to our communities and improve lives.

Violin Yapputri

Benz Koh

Goh Hser Qhing

Charlie Angriawan

Benz Koh (right, Year 5, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine) with Lawrence Teh, Country Head, Tanoto Foundation Singapore.

Goh Hser Qhing (Year 2, NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine)

Tanoto Scholar Yumna Dzakiyyah, along with teammate Richie Fane, have been chosen to represent Asia Pacific in the Global Finals of Schneider Go Green 2021 in collaboration with Aveva.

Under the team CarragEnergy, Yumna and Richie of Bandung Institute of Technology proposed an organic battery made from red seaweed extract to tackle battery waste. They beat out the other 171 teams in the Asia Pacific competition that looks for bold ideas and new technologies for a smarter and more sustainable future.

CarragEnergy found that carrageenan, a natural ingredient extracted from red seaweed, was a good conductor, which they utilized in an organic rechargeable battery. It is hoped to be an alternative energy source that is safe and sustainable.

They began preparation in January by brainstorming, and prototyping was done in March.

“With the fact that battery waste management in Indonesia is awful and would cost a lot of money, we’re interested to find a solution to provide a sustainable green energy,” Yumna said on Bandung Institute of Technology’s website.

“On the other hand, Indonesia is blessed with abundant natural resources, including seaweed that so far has yet to be fully utilized.”

To compete in Schneider Go Green 2021, teams must consist of two Bachelor’s or Master’s students who study business, computer science, engineering, maths, marketing or innovation related studies. At least one team member must be a woman, in line with the company’s diversity and inclusion philosophy.

The five categories in the Schneider Go Green 2021 are Access to Energy, Homes of the Future, Plants of the Future, Grids of the Future and De[Coding] the future. CarragEnergy is one of the teams in Access to Energy category.

The global finals are on June 15 to 17 and each team will have the chance to pitch their ideas in a 15-minute presentation to the jury panel consisting of major Schneider Electric’s decision-makers. It will be followed by a five-minute Q&A session.

Global winners will win a trip to a city such as Boston, London, New Delhi, Paris or Shanghai to visit Schneider Electric’s offices and have a chance to network and interact with the employees and management. 

Tanoto Foundation won the Digital-Based Innovation in Education award for our PINTAR program at the 2021 Gatra Innovation Awards.

Held virtually on April 30, the awards recognised those who introduced innovative ways that contributed to society amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It included four categories: banking services; ministry and state institution services; corporate social responsibility of state-owned enterprises; and foundation and corporate breakthroughs. Tanoto Foundation was included in the latter category.

“On behalf of Tanoto Foundation, allow me to thank Gatra Innovation Awards for the recognition,” said Margaretha Ari Widowati, Director of PINTAR, upon receiving the award.

PINTAR program aims to enhance basic education in Indonesia by improving teaching quality and school leadership. The foundation works with partner schools in 25 districts in five provinces to create local and regional centres of excellence. It also partners with the government, teacher training institutes and associations to spread best practices.

Its digital learning management system, called e-PINTAR, is open to all Indonesian teachers. Participants can train independently or with facilitators to develop active learning methods. 

e-PINTAR was created to train teachers in hard-to-reach places as well as to serve as an alternative learning source. The program was launched amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as restrictions took place around the world. 

Teachers are trained to apply the active learning method that includes MIKIR, an acronym of mengalami (experiencing), interaksi (interaction), komunikasi (communication) and refleksi (reflection). They are expected to urge students to think openly, productively and imaginatively.

“Our teachers believe that quality education will encourage equal opportunities,” said Margaretha.

“I’d like to thank the government, partner schools, teachers and headmasters who have endlessly worked with Tanoto Foundation to find the best ways to provide unlimited opportunities for teachers to improve themselves,” she added. “This award will motivate us to consistently partner with the government and society in improving the quality of education in Indonesia.”