Tzu Chi Indonesia's Collaboration with PU Polytechnic for Excellent, Professional and Humanistic Human Resources

Journalist : Indonesian Tzu Chi Secretariat, Photographer : Indonesian Tzu Chi Secretariat

On Saturday, June 8, 2024, Ir. Brawijaya, S.E., M.Eng.I.E., Ph.D. (Director of PU Polytechnic) and Ir. Pui Sudarto (Deputy Chair of the Tzu Chi Development Committee) signed the Cooperation Agreement (PKS) with Hong Tjhin (General Secretary of the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation).

The Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation collaborates with the PU Polytechnic in the sector of human resource and institutional capacity development. On Saturday, June 8, 2024, Ir. Brawijaya, S.E., M.Eng.I.E., MSCE, Ph.D. (Director of PU Polytechnic) and Ir. Pui Sudarto (Deputy Chair of the Tzu Chi Development Committee) signed a Cooperation Agreement (PKS) with Hong Tjhin (General Secretary of the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation) to commemorate this agreement.

The Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation collaborates with the PU Polytechnic in the areas of human resource and institutional capacity development.

The PU Polytechnic and the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation are working together to enhance education quality through the development of exceptional and skilled human resources with humanist cultural character, in order to fortify the Tri Dharma of higher education.

This cooperation entails enhancing institutional capacity and human resources (HR) by bringing in guest lecturers, working together to implement the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, and offering scholarships to students or graduates who want to pursue further education.

Dadang Rukmana, Plt. The head of the Human Resources Development Agency of the Ministry of Public Works (Kemen PU), as well as 300 students, members of the academic community, and Tzu Chi volunteers, attended the signing of the Cooperation Agreement (PKS) in the Auditorium of the Public Works Polytechnic.

During his speech, Ir. Brawijaya expressed his gratitude for the enthusiasm with which the PKS in the areas of institutional capacity building and human resources was signed.

"This collaboration is a real step in implementing the Tri Dharma of Higher Education to create added value that is mutually beneficial and supports sustainable development," said Ir. Brawijaya.

"We are very grateful for the enthusiasm in signing this PKS, which is a follow-up to the previous MoU with the Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) and the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. Ir Brawijaya further explained, "This partnership is a tangible step toward putting the Tri Dharma of Higher Education into practice, which is to create added value that is mutually beneficial and supports sustainable development."

Furthermore, Ir. Brawijaya emphasized that the focus is on developing students' soft skills in character, entrepreneurship, leadership, motivation, teamwork, and foreign language skills, including increasing lecturer competence.

"This collaboration is very important for us to make the PU Polytechnic into a world-class university," Ir. Brawijaya stated in his speech. "We hope that this collaboration can produce programs such as educational support for scholarships, joint research, and community service so that the Public Works Polytechnic and the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation receive significant benefits."

During his speech, Hong Tjhin, the General Secretary of the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, expressed his admiration for the well-kept campus surroundings.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, Hong Tjhin, was very impressed with the neat and beautifully maintained campus environment in his speech, saying, "I was really impressed by how well-kept and tidy the campus was. Our visit, together with that of Pak Dadang and Pak Brawijaya, was a real testament to the campus's beauty. I genuinely hope that students will seize the opportunity to learn in such a pleasant setting, considering its elegance and cleanliness.”

In addition, Hong Tjhin stressed the need of protecting the campus's environment and facilities while also keeping it tidy and attractive. "That way, we can create a comfortable and enjoyable learning atmosphere, which will ultimately support our academic success and personal development," Hong Tjhin said.

Meanwhile, according to Dr. Dadang Rukmana S.H., Cus., DEA, in his speech, the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is an incredible organization in terms of its humanitarian charity mission. "Buddha Tzu Chi is an incredible institution. I have studied it since the Palu disaster. Dr. Dadang Rukmana elaborated, "We all have to learn from Buddha Tzu Chi, especially Master Cheng Yen, who said that life is short; therefore, use it to do good."

Humanistic Culture in the Work Environment

Freddy Ong, the director of the Sekolah Cinta Kasih Tzu Chi, gave a public lecture as part of this collaborative event between the PU Polytechnic and the Indonesian Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. He covered the topic of humanist culture's aim of fostering an atmosphere that encourages participation from all community members and self-development.

Freddy Ong employs a humanist culture in his general lectures, which provides a thorough and significant method for establishing a peaceful, caring, and sustainable campus environment. "To attain the best outcomes, implementation needs the support of management and the whole campus community," Frddy Ong, who is also the director of the Cengkareng Cinta Kasih School in West Jakarta, clarified.

Freddy Ong urged attendees to understand the value of developing soft skills as a component of developing a fully formed professional character through this lecture. Freddy Ong hopes that Public Works Polytechnic students can take valuable lessons from this exposure and apply them in their academic and professional journey.

During the public lecture's second session, Ir. Pui Sudarto gave a motivational talk on the significance of striking a balance between work professionalism and soft skills. Pui Sudarto stressed that having technical know-how is not sufficient for success in the modern workplace.

During the public lecture's second session, Ir. Pui Sudarto gave a motivational talk on the significance of striking a balance between work professionalism and soft skills. Pui Sudarto stressed that having technical know-how is not sufficient for success in the modern workplace.

Soft skills are essential elements that support technical competency. These include effective communication, teamwork, problem solving, and leadership. Pui also emphasized how crucial it is to have a strong sense of community and to be aware of its needs. Pui, who joined Tzu Chi in 2008, clarified, "A person must be able to make a positive contribution to society and not just focus on professionalism alone."

The students were also very enthusiastic and interested in actively participating after receiving an explanation about the Tzu Chi bamboo bank, a small charity fund for helping others.

All PU Polytechnic students received bamboo piggy banks from Tzu Chi volunteers at the end of the program. It is intended that this piggy bank will encourage saving, help the PU Polytechnic's charitable endeavours, and foster a sense of community.

To create an atmosphere of togetherness, Tzu Chi volunteers demonstrated hand signing language as one of Tzu Chi's humanist cultures with the song “One Family”. The purpose of this hand-signing language performance is to motivate participants by emphasizing the value of unity and collaboration in creating a better society.

Translator: Atika (Tzu Chi School)

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