Jakarta, December 15, 2023 - "Enjoy your schooling, my fellow students, and I am confident that you will succeed. When you succeed, remember that you were educated by the state!"

That was a message from Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), as he equipped 448 LPDP scholarship awardees in an online session on Friday, November 24.

Basuki is convinced that Indonesia's younger generation will return and contribute to the nation's development. He urged the awardees to thoroughly enjoy their college years, turning the learning process into an enjoyable activity as it could alter their life paths in the future.

The hundreds of awardees who listened to the address and advice from the top official in the Ministry of PUPR were a combination of the Departure Preparation (PK) groups, namely the 219th Asana Rastra cohort and the 220th Karsa Cendekia cohort. Both groups completed their PK activities in November and are ready to proceed with their studies.

PK 219 Asana Rastra consisted of 226 awardees, comprising 131 females and 95 males. Among them, 188 individuals were pursuing Master's degrees, 28 were pursuing Doctorates, and 10 were pursuing specialized medical degrees. Meanwhile, PK 220 Karsa Cendekia had 228 members, with 127 females and 101 males. A total of 184 were pursuing Master's degrees, 31 were pursuing Doctorates, and 13 were aiming for specialized medical degrees.

From these cohorts, the majority of awardees came from the underprivileged scholarship program, totaling 121 individuals. This indicates a high enthusiasm among the nation's youth from underprivileged backgrounds to pursue master's and doctoral studies.

The government, through LPDP, is committed to fulfilling the noble aspirations of children from underprivileged families by providing scholarships. This is a tangible proof of #UangKita (#OurMoney) being directed precisely, offering a golden opportunity for underprivileged families to realize their dreams of pursuing higher education both domestically and internationally.

During the PK 219 and 220 events, participants also received guidance and messages from a lineup of other speakers, such as Yudi Latif (Chairman of the Center for Islamic and National Studies-Indonesia), Bangkit Kuncoro (Partner at Ernst & Young Consulting), Afriyanti Sumboja (Lecturer in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at ITB), Mohamad Al-Arief (Head of External & Corporate Relations, Infrastructure Practice Group, World Bank), Mohammad Subekti (Director of Facility Management and Nuclear Energy, BRIN), and Andreas Donny Prakasa (Head of Corporate Relations, PT Etana Biotechnologies Indonesia).

Departure Preparation is a mandatory activity for all LPDP scholarship recipients upon passing the selection process. This event is organized to bring together the nation's best youth from diverse backgrounds and regions.

Values of integrity, motivation, resilience, and messages of adaptive behavior through the materials and knowledge shared by the speakers are expected to strengthen the hearts and solidify the visions and missions of the awardees as they look towards the future.

LPDP extends its heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the speakers and national figures who took the time to attend the PK sessions amid their busy schedules. It is hoped that what you, Sir/Madam, have conveyed will continuously equip the awardees, both during their studies and when they return to contribute to society.