Wageningen University Students Complete Field Research
Since March 2024, the Faculty of Agriculture at UNIB has hosted two foreign students from Wageningen University, the Netherlands, who conducted field research in North Bengkulu Regency. Miss Annika Nelles and Mr. Wisse Zwanenburg, graduate students from Wageningen University, spent approximately five weeks conducting research as part of the Sustain Palm Project. They engaged in data collection activities in Air Putih Village and PT. Agricinal.
On Thursday, May 2, 2024, the two students bid farewell to the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, expressing gratitude for the support and assistance from the academic community and leadership of the UNIB Faculty of Agriculture. Alongside their research counterpart from Faculty of Agriculture of UNIB, Maulana Insanul Kamis, S.P., M.Si, they were received by the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Prof. Heri Dwi Putranto, PhD, at the Faculty of Agriculture Dean’s Office. Subsequently, these two foreign students will return to their home country.
During the occasion, they shared unique experiences of integrating with the local community, including experiencing the atmosphere of fasting during Ramadan and celebrating Eid al-Fitr. They were impressed by the special holiday foods such as Ketupat, Rendang, and Opor Ayam, which were nearly identical from house to house in North Bengkulu. “I like the sweets,” said Nelles and Zwanenburg as they recounted tasting various traditional sweets while immersed in the community of North Bengkulu Regency.
Prof. Heri conveyed greetings from the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and extended another invitation for more students and researchers from Wageningen University to come and collaborate on research and joint publications with researchers and students from Faculty of Agriculture of UNIB. Looking ahead, it is hoped that the academic community of the Faculty of Agriculture at UNIB can engage more deeply in this collaborative research and exchange international academic atmospheres, thereby stimulating the development of international academic activities in both institutions of higher education.
