After going through various stages of the selection process, Fajar Rizky Dwi Yulianto and Dimas Teja Kusuma, Faculty of Agriculture students majoring in Forestry from University of Palangka Raya (UPR), were selected for the Orangutan Caring Scholarship (OCS) 2020. The scholarship is provided by the Orangutan Republik Foundation (OURF) and organized by the Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF) Indonesia together with UPR. It was awarded to the students on the 12th October 2020.
BNF Deputy Director, Agnes Ferisa, explained that the OCS program has been in place since 2018, and would continue each year.
Agnes added that this OCS is different from many other scholarships, which only provide assistance for multi-years tuition fees. During their time, the students will be mentored by BNF to learn about orangutans, wildlife conservation, and research from the holistic perspective.
“So we want to embrace students who enthusiasts to have an impact on Central Kalimantan conservation. So students do not only learn, but understand how to implement their knowledge, in conservation in Central Kalimantan, especially for the orangutans,” said Agnes.
Meanwhile, Director of OURF, Gary Shapiro expressed his appreciation to the students who were enthusiastic about participating in this scholarship selection. He hopes that this scholarship can provide benefits for students and help with the completion of their studies.
“We want these students, after graduating, to be able to contribute to the region, especially in the conservation of orangutans and their habitat,” said Gary.
In addition, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at UPR, Sosilawaty, expressed his gratitude to the BNF team and the OURF, who have provided scholarships to their students. These scholarships are immensely helpful for students in fulfilling their studies, especially as the Covid-19 pandemic hit Central Kalimantan at this time. He hopes that in the future the quota for OCS recipients can be further increased.
“Because every year there are more and more students at the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Palangka Raya, and this kind of scholarship is eagerly awaited by the students. Moreover, this scholarship does not only provide financial assistance, but they are also taught how to organize properly, have a good social life, care for the environment, among other things. So the benefits are very big for them,” said Sosilawaty.
