Tanoto Foundation, in collaboration with Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) and the University of Riau (UNRI), recently helped to launch Indonesia’s first Pulp and Paper Technology Diploma 3 (D3) vocational study program.

As part of its support, Tanoto Foundation and RAPP donated a 2,092 m² building which houses six classrooms, six research laboratories, two meeting rooms and a library.

The six-semester program will be part of the Chemical Engineering department at UNRI. Students will be offered direct access to the world of pulp and paper with support from industry practitioners. Guest lecturers will include pulp and paper experts from APRIL.

Mohamad Nasir, the Indonesian Minister for Research, Technology and Higher Education, was present to inaugurate both the new program and building at the university on January 29.

During the occasion, the minister expressed appreciation for Tanoto Foundation’s support towards the program.

“This is a study program for millennials, which is what is required by the pulp and paper sector at the moment. So far, there is no educational program for pulp and paper – this is the first in Indonesia.

“With this, I hope that other universities will also establish new educational programs in line with the current times and demands,” said Mohamad Nasir.

60 students are enrolled as the first batch of the program, who are expected to graduate in 2020.

Meanwhile, Global CEO of Tanoto Foundation J. Satrijo Tanudjojo said that it was an honour for Tanoto Foundation to be involved in establishing the Pulp and Paper Technology program.

“Inspired by the founders of Tanoto Foundation, Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto, we have the duty to establish this Pulp and Paper program as part of our commitment to improving the quality of education in Indonesia. This is in line with our philosophy that quality education accelerates opportunities,” he said.

Tanoto Foundation’s partnership with University of Riau has been established since 2006. Since then, more than 350 Tanoto Scholars have studied at the university.

At present, more than 50 Tanoto Scholars, who are also participants of the Foundation’s TELADAN program, are studying at UNRI.

Tanoto Foundation recently held a Micro Project Management and Social Media Training event for 45 Tanoto Scholars on January 18 to 21, 2019.

The training, which took place at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, saw the attendance of 45 Tanoto Scholars from 15 different Tanoto Scholars Associations (TSA), who are also part of the TELADAN Program.

TELADAN is a Tanoto Foundation’s leadership development program, which is designed to equip Indonesia’s younger generation with soft skills to become future leaders.

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Over the four days, the participants gained knowledge on how to design, run, monitor and evaluate a small-scale project.

“The participants learned how to plan the various phases of a project and to think systematically.
“Hopefully, the projects run by these Tanoto Scholars in the future can help provide solutions to the community,” said Tutuk Utomo Nurady, one of the trainers at the session.

Trainers for the session came from Perspektik Consulting, a management training company based in Jakarta.

During the session, Tanoto Scholars received a combination of theoretical and practical training, as they were taught how to develop a good proposal and to correctly carry it out after. They were also taught how to anticipate and identify problems which may arise while running the project.

“I gained new knowledge while participating in the micro project training. I learned how to prepare a proposal with more focus on the goal, and to implement the proper steps throughout the process. Besides that, I also learned how to prepare the right budget for a proposal,” said Bismo Waraki, a Tanoto Scholar from Bogor Agricultural Institute in West Java.

As part of the training, the participants were asked to form groups and to devise micro project proposals, which they then had to present to the trainers and the other participants. These were evaluated by the trainers, who provided feedback on how the projects could be better run.

“Before this, we created proposals carelessly and did not pay attention to the proper steps. So there would not be a program focus, and we weren’t clear how to achieve its objective. With this training, we now know how to devise a priority scale for running a program well,” said Friski Sembiring from Andalas University, West Sumatra.

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In addition to learning about how to run a micro project, the Tanoto Scholars also received training in writing, social media, photography and videography.

This skills training is not only expected to help the students while they are still at university, but also after they graduate and in their future workplaces.

Providing access to education has been a key component of Tanoto Foundation’s mission since our beginnings in 1981. Our founders Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto didn’t get the opportunity to complete their formal education, but have committed themselves to ensuring others would not face the same obstacle.

It’s always heartwarming to hear the personal stories of our scholarship recipients, and learn of the determination this opportunity has given them to pay it forward themselves when they have the means to do so.

So we were thrilled to have received a batch of letters from a group of Tanoto Scholars from the National University of Singapore’s Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. With their kind permission we have reproduced some excerpts below.

Chia Yi Mian, a third-year medical student, is an active member of a project to help raise awareness on palliative care and end-of-life matters.

“My dad works as a freelance carpenter with a variable income as his projects are not regular. My mum is working as a postwoman, while my sister is in her last year of study in University. Despite our tight financial status, my parents did not stop me from pursuing my dream of entering medical school. We took up a bank loan for my tuition fees. Obtaining this financial assistance is a great help as it lifts the burden off my parents’ shoulders in repaying the enormous bank loan.  In my second and third year, I served as a committee member of Project Happy Apples, a student-initiated project that aims to raise awareness on palliative care and end-of-life matters. Being part of the project, I learnt that it is important for us to share what we know with other people. For example, outreach events to engage more people on palliative care and encourage conversations on end-of-life matters might empower these people to be more informed and feel more comfortable when facing these issues in future. Likewise, applying this practice in other aspects of my life, it is important to share my knowledge with my friends if they require help, and it is also important to share a packet of biscuits if your friend is hungry as well. It is the spirit of caring, sharing and giving that will allow me to bring as much joy as possible to those around me.”

Year five student Quek Guan Wei Colin regularly takes part in Project Sukacita, which is an outreach programme with rural communities in Indonesia.

“Receiving the Tanoto Foundation Scholarship has empowered me to devote more time and effort to contribute back to society. I was involved in Project Sukacita in 2016 and 2018. Both experiences were insightful as I was given the opportunity to interact with the community in Pangkalan Kerinci. During our recent trip in May 2018, my fellow Scholars and I performed health assessments for children and their parents. We gained a deeper understanding of the healthcare needs of the community. I hope we have laid a sturdy foundation for future generations of Tanoto Scholars to build Project Sukacita on. I am also part of Project Afterglow. We are a pioneer group of senior medical students who visited Phnom Penh, Cambodia in December 2017 to assist doctors in village and school clinics. I previously served the same Phnom Penh community with Project Sa’Bai during my first two years in medical school. Through participating in these projects, I hope to contribute to the spirit of giving back to society in a sustainable manner.”