IPB University opens special scholarship programme for journalists

Bogor City (ANTARA) – IPB University has opened a special scholarship programme for journalists to pursue master’s degrees (S2) as part of efforts to strengthen science-based journalism and public communication. IPB University Rector Dr Alim Setiawan Slamet, during the soft launch at the Baranangsiang Campus in Bogor on Monday, said the Journalist Scholarship programme aims to provide broader educational access for media professionals while enhancing public communication quality regarding sustainable development issues. ‘This Journalist Scholarship programme aims to enhance national journalism capacity, particularly by providing wider access for media professionals to pursue postgraduate studies at IPB,’ said Alim. He said improving journalists’ capacity is crucial to disseminate science-based information and innovations to the public, especially on food, energy, water, and environmental issues. He added that future global challenges require stronger collaboration between universities and media to enable faster adoption of research and innovations by the public. ‘We aim to improve public communication, particularly science-based, innovative, and sustainable development communication within the agro-maritime framework,’ he said. He explained that participants must have journalism work experience and a recommendation from their employer’s leadership. Meanwhile, the IPB Journalist Scholarship committee stated the selection process will follow IPB’s postgraduate admission requirements, including administrative criteria, recommendations, and interviews. In addition to media company leadership recommendations, applicants must meet academic requirements, including a cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Applications for the IPB Journalist Scholarship open from 5 May to 19 June 2026, with the selection process scheduled for 20 June 2026. The programme offers two funding schemes: a limited and selective full scholarship for high-achieving candidates, and a partial scholarship covering 25 to 50 per cent of fees.