PALMOILMAGAZINE, YOGYAKARTA – Indonesia’s Institut Pertanian STIPER (INSTIPER) Yogyakarta has deployed 671 students for its 2026 internship program, reinforcing efforts to bridge higher education and industry through hands-on professional training.
The internship send-off ceremony was held on July 30 at the GRHA INSTIPER grounds in Yogyakarta. The program is designed to strengthen the link between academic learning and industry needs, equipping students with practical skills and workplace experience before graduation.
This year’s program consists of two internship pathways. The first is the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) competitive internship scheme, which enrolled 231 students (34.4%) following a selection process conducted between February and March 2026. The second is the Regular Internship program, involving 440 students (65.6%) through independent applications and university-facilitated placements launched from April to May.
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According to Dr. Maria Ulfah, Chair of the Internship Committee, the students will be placed in 79 partner companies across Indonesia. The palm oil industry remains the most popular destination, attracting 572 students (85.25%) who will intern at 52 leading plantation companies, including Sinar Mas, Karyamas, Astra Agro Lestari, and other major industry players.
Beyond palm oil, students will also undertake internships at 14 companies operating in non-palm plantation sectors—including sugarcane, rubber, tea, coffee, cocoa, horticulture, and food—as well as 13 forestry companies.
“The strong participation of students in palm oil internships demonstrates INSTIPER’s position as one of Indonesia’s leading universities specializing in the plantation sector,” Maria Ulfah said in a statement received by PalmOilMagazine.com on Thursday (July 30).
The internship placements span 18 provinces, with the largest numbers assigned to Central Kalimantan (165 students), North Sumatra (117 students), and West Kalimantan (105 students).
In addition to gaining industry experience, students are expected to carry out community service activities in their host regions, applying knowledge acquired during their studies to benefit local communities.
Over a period of four to six months, participants will work directly in company operations to strengthen technical competencies, professional skills, and workplace adaptability.
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The official launch of the internship program was marked by a ceremonial presentation of internship uniforms and identification cards by INSTIPER Rector Dr. Harsawardana, members of the internship committee, and the deans of the Faculties of Agriculture, Agricultural Technology, and Forestry.
Most students are scheduled to begin their internships on August 4, 2026, although several companies—including Wilmar Group and PT Muria Sumba Manis—started placements on July 1, while PT Astra Agro Lestari and PT Sinar Mas Tbk are scheduled to receive interns beginning August 1. Scholarship recipients sponsored by PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper and Asian Agri also commenced their internships earlier in accordance with company requirements.
INSTIPER Rector Dr. Harsawardana said the internship program is intended not only to provide practical learning opportunities but also to familiarize students with the realities of the workplace before they graduate.
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“Internships at INSTIPER are more than learning inside a company. Students should use this opportunity to develop their professional competencies and prepare themselves for careers in the industry. This experience will strengthen their competitiveness as adaptive and job-ready graduates,” he said.
Meanwhile, Maria Ulfah expressed appreciation to all industry partners for supporting the internship program by providing placement opportunities and mentoring for INSTIPER students.
Through partnerships with 79 companies across Indonesia, INSTIPER continues to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry to produce graduates equipped with the practical skills and experience needed to contribute to the country’s agriculture, plantation, and forestry sectors. (P3)
