The Orangutan Caring Scholarship (OCS) is an initiative to sponsor talented university students in Indonesia. The OCS programme aims to build capacity by enabling young people to pursue higher education, inspiring a new generation of conservation leaders.
Orangutan Republik Foundation (OURF) is collaborating with the Forestry Department of Palangka Raya University (UPR) and the Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF) Indonesia to deliver its OCS programme, which has awarded scholarships to students in Central Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, since 2018.
This year, six students from the UPR Forestry Department received the OCS. The scholarship award ceremony was held last month at the Palangka Raya Peat Innovation Research Centre (PPIG; Indonesian acronym).
OURF President, Gary Shapiro, commented that the scholarship is a great opportunity for awardees, and he hopes its recipients are serious about learning and gaining new experiences as an investment in themselves and conservation in Indonesia.
“They have a great opportunity to embark on a journey of experience and education outside the university, for themselves and for conservation,” he said.
According to BNF Indonesia’s Head of Cooperation and Research, Agnes Ferisa, the OCS programme will run alongside BNF’s conservation activities, which OCS scholars are invited to participate in.
“The scholarship programme will be synergised with our existing projects at BNF, adjusted to each student’s needs and priorities,” she explained.
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Meanwhile, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture UPR, Sosilawaty, clarified how OCS can support students’ development.
“I am very proud of this annual scholarship collaboration with OURF and BNF because the opportunities it brings have such a positive impact on students’ learning. Upon completion, awardees receive an additional certificate in tandem with their university diploma,” he said.
Sosilawaty hopes that this scholastic partnership will continue for many years to come, benefiting the university, its students, and the conservation field more broadly.
One recipient of this year’s scholarship, Jeremia Banjarnahor, shared his challenges in attaining the scholarship.
“The process was quite difficult and required strict time management, but I am proud that I was able to get [the OCS] and am excited to see where it takes me in future.”
Read also: Orangutan Caring Shcolarship: Six Forestry Students Receive OCS 2022
Written by Beby Sulistya, Orangutan Caring Scholarship Awardee 2022
