PHOTO: Korindo Foundation’s general secretary Seo Jeong Sik and University of Indonesia’s deputy dean Taufik Asmiyanto, (both in batik) getting photographed with scholarship recipients on campus grounds
JAKARTA – Korindo Foundation distributes scholarships on a regular basis to high-achieving students at five Indonesian universities: University of Indonesia (UI), National University (UNAS), Gadjah Mada University (UGM), IPB University (IPB), and Indonesia University of Education (UPI). This is a program initiated in 1998 and as of today has benefited 258 undergraduates all over Indonesia. Grants are exclusively given to Korean Language Education, Forestry, and Plantation majors.
“Mahasiswa Berprestasi [High-Achieving Student] Scholarship takes place annually and is quite distinct in that the program is aimed at Korean Language majors all over the country. IPB is an exception, as its Forestry Faculty has programs that line up with the needs of Korindo Group’s plantation and forestry businesses, two of its main businesses,” said the Foundation’s general secretary Seo Jeong Sik.
This year, 25 students were awarded 5,000,000 IDR each by the Foundation. They are young adults who excel in either academic or non-academic fields and come from poor financial backgrounds, making Korindo’s scholarships a needed support to finish their studies.
“Since 1998, the Korindo Foundation has been supporting UI students, particularly those in the Korean Study Program, through yearly educational aid for five select students and exchange programs to Yonsei University. With the Foundation’s help, both our Korean and non-Korean majors will be able to learn a lot about South Korea, and this will certainly be useful for our bilateral relations with the country. Once again, we would like to express our gratitude,” said Dr. Taufik Asmiyanto, Deputy Dean of Resources, Ventures, and General Administration at UI’s Faculty of Humanities.
Scholarship certificates are delivered directly by the general secretary
On the other hand, Prof. Tri Indri Hardini, the Dean of UPI’s Faculty of Language and Literature Education, hoped to see stronger ties between her campus and Korindo.
“Our Korean Language Education program is relatively new, having only been around for a few years. But since then, Korindo has been aiding us with scholarships. So, we hope our students return the favor, either by participating in our internship program with the company or working for Korindo when they graduate,” Hardini said.
Dr. Somadi Sosrohadi, the dean of UNAS’s Faculty of Language and Literature, had similar words of gratitude. “The entire UNAS family would like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for Korindo Foundation’s contribution to education,” he said.
As previously mentioned, IPB University is the only university on the list whose beneficiaries do not come from the Korean Language program. Despite this fact, it was chosen because its vision, mission, and goals align with those of Korindo Group, a forestry and plantation company.
“We highly appreciate the Foundation for its work. This year, five of our students have received financial assistance. We expect these to be useful for them and that onwards, they can get work in either the plantation or forestry field,” said Dr. Naresworo Nugroho, the dean of IPB’s Faculty of Forestry and Environment.
Korindo Foundation actively supports progress in the local education system by providing those interested in Korean culture, language, or industry with scholarships and exchange opportunities.
“I want to say thank you for the aid and mandate given to me [to complete my studies]. It had never crossed my mind that I would be winning this scholarship. So I was really over the moon when this news came out,” said Annisa Nur Fadhila, a beneficiary from IPB University.
Like Seo said, Korindo will continue to invest in education, for it believes a nation can grow and achieve independence with it. “We will always strive to drive education forward through our educational-appropriate programs.” (PR)
