However, the process of studying is a long journey that requires a lot of money. In the process, many students need assistance with tuition fees while studying at ITB. For this reason, on Tuesday, November 17, 2020, ITB Chancellor Prof. Reini Wirahadikusumah, Ph.D., officially launched the ITB Scholarship Program. At the event, the Dato 'Low Tuck Kwong-Purnomo Yusgiantoro Center Scholarship and Purnomo Yusgiantoro Center-Dato' Low Tuck Kwong Scholarship were given.

The ITB Scholarship Program is a program that will be centrally managed by ITB and distributed to students through the Directorate of Student Affairs (Ditmawa) for Undergraduate Programs and Postgraduate Schools for Masters and Doctoral Programs. From Ditmawa ITB, in 2019, there were around 12,844 students who received scholarships at ITB from a total of 19,088 students.

In her speech, ITB Rector Prof. Reini Wirahadikusumah, Ph.D., said that Indonesia is predicted to experience a demographic bonus period in 2030-2040. In that period, Indonesia's productive age population (15-64 years) is predicted to reach 64 percent of the total population estimated at 297 million people. Therefore, the abundance of productive age must be balanced with an increase in the quality of education to obtain superior human resources.

“The scholarship program must be managed effectively, properly, accountably, and transparently. ITB is committed to building a centralized, well-managed scholarship system that makes people's trust grow, and its benefits are well conveyed,” she said.

Another program at ITB is the BPP main-based scholarship, namely Ganesha Talent Assistantship or GTA which provides an opportunity for ITB undergraduate alumni to contribute as assistants in faculties/schools or support units at ITB. This program is expected to obtain superior students who are rich in experience because they are involved in academic and non-academic activities at ITB. In addition, there is also the Ganesha Talent Assistantship Research Group for the Doctoral program which has also been initiated through the Scientific Group at ITB and is open to other potential university master's graduates to contribute.

On this occasion, Prof. Reini thanked Dato 'Low Tuck Kwong and the Purnomo Yusgiantoro Center Foundation for providing tuition assistance for ITB students amounting to Rp100 billion. Of the donation, 50 percent was used for building construction and 50 percent for scholarships in the form of an endowment fund amounting to Rp1.9 billion, which was distributed with 174 students from 5 faculties/schools and 9 study programs.Meanwhile, the Chairman of Purnomo Yusgiantoro Center, Filda Citra Yusgiantoro, said that the scholarship handover had been through a long process since 2019. Precisely when ITB's October Graduation was held on October 19, 2019. At that time, Dato 'Low Tuck Kwong donated IDR 100 billion. “Of course, the main purpose of this donation is to improve human resources through improving the quality of education, especially in ITB,” she said.

“We, from PYC (Purnomo Yusgiantoro Center) were entrusted by Mr. Dato to work with ITB to realize the use of this donation in two ways which are for sustainable funds providing scholarships for ITB students, and the construction of 5 floors of the 17th Labtek building named Dato' Low Tuck Kwong. Groundbreaking was carried out on February 2, 2020,” she explained.

Filda added that the construction of infrastructure and educational scholarships is a very important factor for education and research, as well as in producing superior and quality human resources in Indonesia. She said, increasing superior human resources is very important in welcoming Indonesia in 2030, where Indonesia will experience a demographic bonus.

“The demographic bonus is a period in which the productive age population is more dominant than the non-productive age, which must be accompanied by an increase in the productivity of the productive age. So that in this case, as many qualified human resources as possible are needed to innovate and answer the existing challenges. We must be ready with even greater challenges ahead,” she said.

She hopes that the launch of this scholarship program can support the education of Indonesia's young generation, especially students at ITB. As for the reading of the decree regarding the Purnomo Yusgiantoro Center Scholarship Recipient, the Deputy Chancellor for Finance, Planning and Development ITB Ir. Muhamad Abduh, M.T., Ph.D.

On this occasion there was a welcome from Representatives of "Dato 'Low Tuck Kwong Scholarship - Purnomo Yusgiantoro Scholarship" namely Hanif Fadhila Qinthara from the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Study Program, remarks from the Representative of "Dato' Low Tuck Kwong Scholarship - Purnomo Yusgiantoro Scholarship", Gading Arganu Pradipta from the Petroleum Engineering Undergraduate Study Program, and “Purnomo Yusgiantoro - Dato 'Low Tuck Kwong Scholarship” Scholarship Recipient Representative Valina Rizky Paramita from the Geological Engineering Undergraduate Study Program.

Reporter : Adi Permana

Translator : Evita Sonny (Management, 2017)