Make Batam as an Educational Destination City, Uuf: Let’s make it happen together!
NEWS-The Batam City Government through the Assistant for Government and Welfare of the Batam City Government, Yusfa Hendri, is determined to make Batam as one of the educational destination cities in this country. This noble hope, of course, should be jointly supported by all elements to realize Batam as an educational destination city, in addition to the industrial city that has been attached so far.
“Let’s together make it happen,” said the Director of Politeknik Negeri Batam, Uuf Brajawidagda, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., accompanied by the Deputy Director II for Administration and Finance, Bambang Hendrawan, when receiving a visit from the Assistant for Government and Welfare of the Batam Regional Secretariat, Yusfa Hendri, and journalists for print media, online media, and electronic media, on Monday (26/9/2022).
Polibatam campus officials and their staff were very happy to receive an impromptu visit from the Batam City Government and the media crews in Batam city. “Thank you, Mr. Yusfa (Assistant I Pemko Batam-ed) & friends from the media crews who are willing to visit Polibatam Campus. Even though it was only Tektokan on Saturday, it has been realized this Monday. Yusfa’s speed of mobilization and decision-making is extraordinary,” said Uuf.
According to him, the desire of the Batam City Government and the Batam Business Board/Badan Pengusahaan (BP) to make Batam a destination city for education, should have the support of all parties in making it happen. Polibatam was founded in 2000, the state campus is at the center of the Government in the Batam Center area, Batam City, and currently has 8,400 students with 21 Study Programs.
“Polibatam’s program is made for industrial needs in Batam. For example, there is an Aircraft Maintenance Study Program to meet the workforce in the field of aircraft maintenance, which is currently being focused on Batam, such as the MRO industry at Hang Nadim Airport,” he explained.
In addition, there is also a study program related to Power Technology to answer the needs of human resources in the field of Solar Power Generation/Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) which will be developed in Batam as a national strategic project. “Most of these study programs have collaborated with global companies so that graduates are immediately absorbed into the workforce,” he said. Moreover, according to him, there are students who have not graduated but have received contracts to work in industries in Batam.
A number of study programs at Polibatam are also unique. The Manufacturing of Electronics study program, for instance, is the only one in Indonesia. In similar to the learning methods, don’t imagine that studying at Polibatam has to be tense and serious. Students are free to be creative. “Our campus is smart and modern, making students also free to sit like they are sitting relaxed in cafes and restaurants,” he explained. While sitting relaxed, they are free to discuss with fellow students or can focus on work while being able to stretch their nerves.
He said that this campus started as a foundation, and 10 years later it turned into a state polytechnic. In the past, the number of students was only tens, now there are 8,400 students. Even now, the number of students at the polytechnic level is in the top five in Indonesia. “In the future, it will continue to be developed. We continue to develop the campus by building various facilities,” he explained.
However, he continued, the estimated capacity is only for 11 to 12 thousand students. So there are plans to open a branch campus in another area. “And we have received the offer from the Pekanbaru City Government (Riau Province) to open Polibatam there,” said Uuf, together with the Batam Regional Secretariat Government Assistant, Yusfa Hendri.
During the meeting, Uuf also briefly explained the master plan for the future development of Politeknik Negeri Batam.
“Currently we are building a mosque and student dormitory. Where we are today, this Technopreneur building, has only been operating since last year,” he explained. In the future, the plan from the remaining land will be to build tower B for study rooms, sports halls, and an auditorium.
He explained that currently in Polibatam there are 4 departments with 20 Study Programs. First, the Electrical Engineering Department with the following Study Programs: D3 Electronics Engineering, D3 Manufacturing of Electronics, D3 Instrumentation Engineering, D4 Mechatronics Engineering, D4 Robotics Engineering, and D4 Power Plant Technology.
Second, the Informatics Engineering Department includes D3 Informatics Engineering, D3 Geomatics Engineering, D4 Multimedia and Networking, D4 Animation, D4 Cyber Security Technology, and D4 Software Engineering.
Third, the Mechanical Engineering Department consists of D3 Mechanical Engineering, D3 Aircraft Maintenance, D3 Ship Design and Construction, D4 Fabrication and Welding Engineering, and Engineer Profession.
And fourth, the Business and Management Department, with these Study Programs: D3 Accounting, D4 Managerial Accounting, D4 Business Administration, and D4 International Trade Logistics.
“The construction of Polibatam is designed to meet the human resources required by the industrial world, especially Batam,” he explained. He said that under 2000, Batam’s economic growth was quite high. With the growth of industries whose human resources are from outside, there is a desire to establish a polytechnic, which is finally achieved. The development of the Study Programs also follows the development of the industrial world in Batam, Riau Islands.
In the same place, the Assistant for Government and Welfare of the Batam City Government, Yusfa Hendri, said that the presence of Polibatam answered the needs of human resources in Batam and the Riau Islands (Kepri). According to him, Batam is not only known as an industrial city but will also be known as a city of education in the future.
“So far, people go to Batam to look for work. Now they can also go to Batam to study. Because Batam has more than 24 campuses and has a modern polytechnic,” he said. Politeknik Negeri Batam, which has now produced more than 6000 alumni, strengthens intellectual capacity, according to technological developments. In this sense, the Study Program at Polibatam is presented in accordance with the needs of the industrial world.