InfoSAWIT, YOGYAKARTA – Institut Pertanian Stiper (INSTIPER) Yogyakarta continues to strengthen its role in developing Indonesia’s agribusiness and plantation workforce, officially graduating 292 students during its 86th undergraduate and 32nd postgraduate commencement ceremony, with a significant number already securing employment before graduation day.
Held at Grha INSTIPER, the ceremony marked another milestone for the plantation-focused institution, which has increasingly aligned its academic programs with industry demand.
This year’s graduating cohort consisted of 16 Master of Plantation Management graduates and 276 undergraduate students. Among the undergraduate graduates, 167 came from the Faculty of Agriculture, 40 from the Faculty of Agricultural Technology, and 69 from the Faculty of Forestry.
Academic performance remained a notable highlight, with 147 graduates—approximately half of the cohort—earning cum laude distinctions. Meanwhile, 24 percent had already secured employment before the graduation ceremony took place.
The university attributed the rapid employment absorption to its industry-linked learning model, which integrates classroom instruction with practical exposure through internships and field training programs. INSTIPER Academy and corporate partnerships have also played a central role in preparing graduates for immediate entry into the workforce.
Several graduates even received “golden ticket” employment offers from partner companies following strong internship performance, enabling them to bypass further recruitment processes.
Scholarship Programs Strengthen Talent Development
INSTIPER’s collaboration with industry and scholarship providers continues to expand. During this graduation period, 125 students graduated under various scholarship schemes, including support from PT Asian Agri, PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL), KIP Kuliah, and regional governments.
The ceremony also marked a significant milestone for Indonesia’s palm oil human capital development program, as INSTIPER graduated its first 50 recipients of the Palm Oil Human Resources Scholarship (SDM PKS) funded by the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP).
The scholarship graduates included 26 students from the Palm Oil Plantation undergraduate program (SPKS) and 24 from Plantation Business Management (SMBP), recording an average study period of 3.7 years and an average GPA of 3.77.
INSTIPER Rector Dr. Ir. Harsawardana, M.Eng said graduate employability remains one of the university’s key performance indicators.
“The average waiting period for INSTIPER graduates is less than six months after graduation,” Harsawardana said during the ceremony.
He noted that during this graduation cycle alone, 24 percent of undergraduate and postgraduate graduates had secured jobs within less than a month after being declared graduates or completing their academic assessments.
“INSTIPER is committed to maintaining the trust of corporate partners that have entrusted us to educate their future workforce,” he said in an official statement quoted by InfoSAWIT.
Top Graduates and Industry Support
The title of best undergraduate graduate was awarded to Muhammad Fadli Alamsyah from the Faculty of Agriculture, who achieved a GPA of 3.97. Meanwhile, Villania Sari was recognized as the top graduate of the Master of Plantation Management program, recording a GPA of 3.98 and completing her degree within 18 months.
Fadli said his time at INSTIPER provided both academic and personal development that would serve him well in professional life.
“I hope this achievement becomes the first step toward contributing positively to society and the industry,” he said.
Support for palm oil workforce development was also reaffirmed by BPDP President Director Eddy Abdurrachman, who stressed the agency’s continued commitment to education, training, and research.
“BPDP is committed to improving human resources in the palm oil industry through scholarships, training, and research,” he said in a video message.
The participation of industry partners such as Asian Agri Group and PT RAPP further underscored the close relationship between higher education and the plantation sector in strengthening workforce readiness and long-term human capital development. (T2)
