InfoSAWIT, YOGYAKARTA – New student orientation typically focuses on introducing campus life and academic systems. However, at the Yogyakarta Institute of Agriculture (INSTIPER), this activity is broadened through the Campus and Plantation Orientation (OKKABUN) program.
A total of 840 new students for the 2025/2026 academic year participated in the series of events held from August 29 to September 8, 2025. In addition to getting to know the campus environment, students were immediately introduced to the world of plantations and forestry through hands-on practice at SEAT Ungaran, INSTIPER's educational plantation.
"The OKKABUN activity for INSTIPER's new students was also held at SEAT, which has a variety of plantation and forestry commodities. Students were introduced to palm oil, coffee, cocoa, tea, rubber, as well as teak, jabon, and sengon. Not all students have had the chance to see these trees in person, so learning is done through kinesthetic techniques and real-life experiences," explained Vice Rector III and Head of the OKKABUN Committee, Adi Ruswanto, in an official statement received by InfoSAWIT on Wednesday (9/10/2025).
In addition to learning about plants, new students were also shown various mechanization technologies now developing in the plantation sector. Betti Yuniasih, M.Sc., INSTIPER's Head of Public Relations, mentioned that this year's OKKABUN featured a technology showcase, from crane grabbers and transporters for evacuating palm oil fruit bunches to smart trucks developed from INSTIPER lecturer research supported by BPDPKS. Students were also introduced to the use of drones for plantation monitoring, industrial plant evaluation, and pest control.
The activity was not just about science and technology, however. Through a cross-faculty and cross-program group system, new students were trained in teamwork, discipline, and self-reliance. During their overnight stay at the plantation, they had to set up their own tents and share roles to rest. "This teaches the importance of hard work and process to achieve something," Adi Ruswanto added.
The new INSTIPER students for 2025/2026 come from 26 provinces across Indonesia. Most are Generation Z, accustomed to the ease of technology and family facilities. OKKABUN is expected to be an initial experience that sharpens their independence, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities—essential skills for university life and for facing the plantation industry in the future. (T2)
