The Association of Agronomy and Horticulture Students (Himagrho) from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Lampung conducted a field study at the Department of Research and Development (R&D) of PT Gunung Madu Plantations on Saturday, September 16, 2023. A total of fifty students and two supervising professors participated in this activity. They were welcomed by the Head of the R&D Department, Mrs. Sri Haryani, SP, M.Si accompanied by the Head of Human Capital, Syah Ayu Dewi, and General Affairs Officer, Egi Wira Gala, and the R&D team.
The university students participating in this field study are 5th-semester students majoring in agronomy and horticulture under the guidance of Dr. Diana Sari SP, MP. In his welcoming address, the Secretary of the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Dr. Hidayat, SP, MP, stated that this industry visit aimed to learn practical and technical aspects in a broader scope. He continued that the students have primarily studied the theory, but the practical applications were limited to small-scale contexts. She hoped that this visit could broaden the student’s knowledge about the advancement of agricultural science and agricultural technology. She wished her students to learn much from visiting PT GMP research facilities.
The Head of the R&D Department, Mrs. Sri Haryani, SP, M.Si, also gave a welcome speech. She mentioned that PT GMP and the University of Lampung maintained good partnerships and had smooth research collaborations. She said that the results of these research collaborations would be a step to advance the field of agriculture without neglecting the collaboration between the business world and educational institutions. She emphasized that students should not only have knowledge in their field of study, but also have organizational skills. In the business world, expertise in the discipline alone is not enough; the ability to manage an organization is an added value for the industry. Therefore, she wished the students to absorb as much knowledge as possible to apply it to scientific knowledge and support learning in preparation for research in the respective fields.
