IPB University Students Gain Insight Through SNI Goes to Campus Programme

PT Garudafood Putra Putri Jaya Tbk (Garudafood) is committed to supporting the strengthening of national standardisation and sustainable food governance in Indonesia. This step was realised through the company’s active participation in the national programme ‘SNI Goes to Campus’ organised by the National Standardisation Agency (BSN) at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB University). The ‘SNI Goes to Campus’ programme at IPB University represents a strategic synergy between BSN, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek), and Garudafood as a national industry player. This cross-sector collaboration is scheduled to continue rolling out and visiting various other universities throughout Indonesia during 2026, aiming to produce a young generation that is quality-conscious and ready to be highly competitive. At the academic forum attended by hundreds of students from IPB University’s Food Technology Department on Thursday, Garudafood presented its Head of Q-SHE & MFG Innovation, Bangun Raharjo, as the main speaker. The management representative’s presence aimed to share empirical experience and best practices in implementing the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) within the large-scale food and beverage industry production chain. In his presentation, Bangun Raharjo asserted that SNI is not merely a regulatory obligation, but has become an ingrained part of the company’s work culture. ‘Standards are not just about meeting requirements and regulations, but about building discipline, consistency, and trust so that it becomes a work culture practiced every day. Therefore, we believe that students who understand the importance of standardisation from an early stage will be better prepared to enter the industry, subsequently developing by contributing to products that are safe, quality, and competitive,’ Bangun Raharjo explained. As a manifestation of its commitment to a quality culture, Garudafood has voluntarily applied SNI to its biscuit product category since 2014, even though regulations had not yet mandated it. This step reflects the company’s belief that standardisation is a long-term investment to maintain quality consistency, increase consumer trust, and strengthen the competitiveness of national products in the market. Furthermore, this forum became an important momentum for Garudafood to promote education on food safety and product standardisation to the academic community. It was emphasised that the higher education sector has a crucial role as an agent of change in disseminating awareness of food products that are safe, of high quality, and have a clear traceability system, so that the origin of raw materials and their distribution process can be known. In her remarks, Prof. Dr. Ir. Yulin Lestari, Director of Education Transformation and Learning Technology at IPB University, stressed the importance of integrating standardisation aspects into the higher education curriculum framework as a strategic effort to enhance graduate readiness for entering the workforce. Nindya Malvins Trimadya, Head of the Standardisation and Conformity Assessment Dissemination Working Team at BSN, expressed her appreciation for industry participation in the ‘SNI Goes to Campus’ programme. According to her, the involvement of the business sector plays a vital role in bridging the understanding of standardisation with real-world workplace practices. ‘The involvement of companies like Garudafood proves that the application of standards is not just a laboratory matter, but touches all aspects of business operations. This is a message that students need to receive as early as possible,’ she stated. As is known, Indonesia currently has more than 13,000 active SNIs, yet the level of their implementation among small and medium industries still needs to be continuously encouraged, making campus-based education a strategic and targeted approach. This step aligns with Garudafood’s long-term commitment to implementing sustainable corporate governance. Through targeted public education, Garudafood is committed to creating a responsible and transparent industrial ecosystem, while supporting the sustainable achievement of national food security.