Supporting Human Resource Quality Improvement, Tanoto Foundation and PT RAPP Cooperate with Universitas Riau To Establish Pulp & Paper Vocation Program

Pekanbaru, January 21, 2018 – According to the 2017 Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) report, Indonesia ranks 90th out of 118 countries in the Asia Pacific region in terms of human resource competitiveness. GTCI is an annual report that is measured based on a country’s ability to compete in producing talented and capable human resources. Compared with other ASEAN countries, Indonesia lags behind Singapore and Malaysia, each of which is ranks 2nd and 28th.

In participating in the support of the improvement of Indonesian human resource competitiveness, Tanoto Foundation, a philanthropic foundation founded by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto, in collaboration with PT Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP), partners with Universitas Riau to establish a Diploma Level-3 Vocation Program in the field of Pulp & Paper. This support is also in line with Presidential Instruction (Inpres) no. 9 of 2016 on the revitalization of vocational education to improve the competitiveness of Indonesian human resources.

“Tanoto Foundation focuses on the education sector because we believe that education is key to poverty alleviation efforts. Support to the establishment of the Diploma Level -3 Vocation Program in the field of Pulp & Paper at Universitas Riau is also a manifestation of our commitment to step up employment opportunities by strengthening the connection between the education world with the industrial world, “said Anderson Tanoto, a member of the Board of Trustees of Tanoto Foundation.

In this cooperation, Tanoto Foundation and PT RAPP will support the development of Universitas Riau as a center of excellence in developing expert human resources in the pulp and paper industry. Support includes software and hardware development. In terms of software, support will be provided in the form of trainings, researches, scholarships, and guest lecturing. In terms of hardware, support will be provided in the form of construction of a lecture building, which includes classrooms, equipped laboratories and other support facilities on a 4,300-square-meter property of Universitas Riau. The overall investment value in this support will reach Rp24.8 billion.

Universitas Riau has been chosen as a cooperation partner due to several factors. First, Universitas Riau is one of the famous state universities in Indonesia. Secondly, Universitas Riau is one of the main partners in the Tanoto Foundation Scholarship program since 2006. Finally, Universitas Riau is one of the main sources for the RGE Group, the corporate partner of Tanoto Foundation and PT RAPP, in seeking promising young talents to be appointed as their employees.

This Pulp & Paper Vocation Program is scheduled to begin its first academic activities in 2018. The signing of a Cooperation Agreement between Tanoto Foundation-PT RAPP and Universitas Riau was held on January 21, 2018 by the President Director of PT RAPP, Chairman of the Tanoto Foundation Management and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of Universitas Riau, Dr. Ari Sandhyavitri, witnessed by the Minister of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia, Ir. Airlangga Hartarto, MBA, MMT, Riau Governor Ir. H. Arsyadjuliandi Rachman, MBA, Rector of Universitas Riau, Dr. Ir. Aras Mulyadi, DEA, and a member of the Board of Trustees of Tanoto Foundation, Anderson Tanoto.