The Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Ir. H. Andi Amran Sulaeman, held a discussion with Indonesia’s Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro, Ph.D., and the Rectors Forum at the Auditorium of Building D, Ministry of Agriculture, on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 8:00 AM WIB.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Andi Amran Sulaeman encouraged university rectors to continue promoting innovation within campus environments and to optimize existing potential to actively participate in the movement toward achieving food self-sufficiency.
According to him, universities are centers of knowledge and innovation. He expressed hope that through this collaboration, universities in Indonesia could produce experts in agriculture-related fields, including fertilizer, seeds, agricultural tools and machinery (alsintan), and other areas.
“The progress of a nation is heavily influenced by its universities because that is where innovation is born. I have high hopes that all agricultural machinery can be domestically produced by Indonesian universities,” he said.
He also emphasized that students are the spearhead of the nation’s future and must develop a strong interest in the agricultural sector.
“We must encourage students to engage directly in agriculture. Modern technology such as drones, tractors, combine harvesters, and rice shredders integrated with drying systems has been provided by the government to attract young generations to the agricultural field,” Amran explained.
Meanwhile, the Rector of Universitas Medan Area (UMA), Prof. Dr. Dadan Ramdan, M.Eng., M.Sc., expressed his appreciation for the programs presented by the Minister of Agriculture and discussed during the Joint Discussion Forum, which was attended by around 56 university rectors from across Indonesia.
“This meeting discussed how universities, as hubs for intellectuals, inventors, innovators, and students, can actively contribute to achieving national food self-sufficiency,” he stated.
Additionally, the Minister of Agriculture highlighted the importance of SID (Sustainable Innovation Development) and mechanization, which are expected to be the responsibility of higher education institutions.
Prof. Dadan Ramdan hopes that the meeting between universities, the government, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology will strengthen collaboration in developing educational programs aligned with the needs of the agricultural and technological sectors and produce graduates who are ready to tackle challenges in society.
