Djarum offers more than just scholarships

Djarum offers more than just scholarships

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

The students were beaming with happiness as musician Djaduk
Ferianto called on them, one group after another, to a stage set
up in the compound of the famous Prambanan Temple.

The students, numbering 387 in total from 65 universities
cried out "cak" repeatedly while swaying both their arms in the
air -- just as Balinese kecak dancers do. They marched to the
stage, sat cross-legged on the floor, forming a full circle.

A moment later, they were officially named the recipients of
this year's scholarship program awarded by cigarette producer PT
Djarum.

"I'm honored to be one of the recipients. I've already
benefited a lot from the scholarship program," said Atok, one of
the 27 recipients from Lampung University.

Three days ahead of the inauguration ceremony, which is also
known as Dharma Puruhita Night, all the selected candidates were
invited to join a series of activities held in Yogyakarta.

The program included social activities with children from
orphanages, outbound activities, tours to historical sites and a
talk on moral values with noted speaker Damardjati Supadjar of
Gadjah Mada University and prominent Islamic preacher Wijayanto.

"Thanks to the program, I have had a chance to meet and
exchange experiences with other fellow students from different
universities and different study programs. I've really enjoyed
it," Atok said.

"The scholarship (program) is really different to other
scholarships that I am aware of. It doesn't just give us money,
but most importantly features a variety of off-campus
activities," another recipient, Marleni Nurhasmi of Bandung
Widyatama University said.

Marleni, a scholarship recipient of the 2004/2005 academic
year, said that apart from the monthly stipend of Rp 150,000, she
was also obliged to join a series of programs that the company
had arranged for all the recipients in her region.

The programs included seminars, outbound activities,
workshops, and various social activities. All were conducted at
the company's expense.

"We are also welcome to propose a program if we like. The
regional sales office will give us full support for it,"
explained Marleni, who completed her university studies last
month.

Speaking at a press conference held ahead of the Dharma
Puruhita Night, head of PT Djarum's corporate affairs, Suwarno M.
Serad, said that the scholarship was not just aimed at improving
students' academic achievement but their non-academic skills, as
well.

"Education in Indonesia has always treated students more as
objects. Through the off-campus activities we are providing, we
want to treat them as human beings," Suwarno said.

That explains why all the scholarship recipients are also
obliged to pay a monthly visit to the company's regional sales
offices in their respective regions to interact with each other
through a variety of activities.

So far four regional sales offices have supported the programs
for the scholarship recipients. They are in Jakarta, Bandung
(West Java), Semarang (Central Java) and Surabaya (East Java).

Scholarship recipients are also required to join a series of
programs that each of the regional sales offices prepares for
them, including seminars, workshops, training on leadership and
entrepreneurship, and social and outbound activities.

By participating in the program, Suwarno said, the students
would hopefully be able to develop within themselves a broader
perspective, greater self-discipline and maturity.

"We are treating this as a long-term investment in human
resources development," said Suwarno, adding that an annual
meeting was also held for the association of the Djarum
scholarship recipients through which they could broaden their
network.

"It is through such meetings that the students often make
contacts that they can use to start their career after completing
their studies," he said.

For the 2005/2006 academic year the company has selected 387
recipients from over 700 applicants from 65 universities all
across the country. They are fifth- and seventh-semester
students.

"To date, since the project began we have provided
scholarships for a total of 4,646 university students," Suwarno
explained.

Suwarno also said that the scholarship program began in 1984
in recognition of the fact that many university students were
often forced to take a semester off to work, to finance their
studies, even though they excelled academically.

It is only within the last 10 years that the program has been
implemented in a more systematic and coordinated manner,
following the establishment of the company's public relations
department, which Suwarno himself headed at that time.

"Through the program we hope we can produce university
graduates who do not simply become job seekers but job creators
as well," Suwarno said.