President Jokowi Encourages IPB University to Innovate to Anticipate Food Crises
President Jokowi at the Open Session of the 60th Anniversary of the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) University, at the IPB Dramaga Campus, Bogor, West Java province, Friday (09/15), (Photo by: BPMI Presidential Secretariat)
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo Friday (09/15) stated that challenges such as energy, food, and economic crises, technological disruption, and the geopolitical situation must serve as opportunities for the Indonesian people if they can carry out large-scale innovation.
“If we are able to do that, we can improve the well-being of our farmers and fishers in the future,” President Jokowi said at the Open Session of the 60th Anniversary of the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB) University, at the IPB Dramaga Campus, Bogor, West Java province.
The President also encouraged the university’s academic community to create innovation to anticipate food crisis which, among other things, was triggered by massive population growth, climate change such as super El Nino which caused long droughts, as well as the prolonged geopolitical situation between Russia and Ukraine.
“These are all realities that we have to face, be aware of, accept—most importantly—and anticipate what we have to do,” he said.
President Jokowi also welcomed the concept of sustainable and inclusive agro-maritime developed by IPB University, which he noted could be an important part of innovation in the country’s food ecosystem.
“Nevertheless, I believe that such effort cannot be completed by one scientific discipline alone. Not monodisciplinary, but interdisciplinary, and even transdisciplinary,” the President said, adding that expanding scientific disciplines at the IPB University is crucial to develop Indonesia’s food ecosystem.
President Jokowi also expressed hope that IPB University can become a place to produce superior human resources with good character.
“I’m sure the IPB University can really play that role,” he remarked. (TGH/UN) (GWH/MUR)
