State
Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta overrides botanical
laboratory field of Agribusiness Department, Faculty of Science
and Technology. Not long after being moved in 2009, UIN
once again converted Agribusiness botanical laboratory field where Agribusiness students
practice technology of production crops. It
happens because for a number of years, the lab field has only placed
on UIN unoccupied area.
When UIN needs the area, that botanical laboratory field should
be moved to another place.
Agribusiness botanical laboraroty field has yet been prioritized in UIN
developmental programs. Director of Center for Integrated
Laboratory (PLT) UIN, Fatma Wijayanti on Friday (16/5 ) said, UIN do not have botanical laboratory area for
Agribusiness Department because the laboratory was not listed in UIN’s Master Plan.
Now, UIN once again converted the botanical laboratory area on
Jl. Ir. H. Juanda into Han Cultural Studies Center, a cultural studies center of China, on May 14 2014; it culminates the
disappointment of
Agribusiness academicians. Since then, botanical laboratory must be moved to another location for umpteenth
time. Reporting from claim of #SaveKebunAgri movement,
a movement led by Agribusiness
Student Association (Himagri),
the laboratory filed
has been converted for two
times and
displaced for three times.
Listed in #SaveKebunAgri
claim,
in early
2008 the laboratory
area at
Jl. Pisangan converted
into dormitory for
the students of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
(FKIK). Then,
in 2008-2009 Agribusiness students do not plant in the field, but they plant with polybag media located in the PLT green house next FKIK students’ dormitory. Then, in 2009 the laboratory was
moved to Jl. Ir . H. Juanda, Ciputat.
The condition makes Agribusiness
academicians complain
about the clarity of laboratory field status. Khoiriyyah, a student of Agribusiness Department who joined
in the #SaveKebunAgri movement, assumed that the conversion
which already
happened twice indicates UIN
is not
serious in planning
Agribusiness botanical laboratory.
"Agriculture science is not only learning about the science of
planting seed,
but also about the
science of appreciating farmland. When institutions no longer hold this principle and
not ready to support and develop
of scientific study of agriculture, it is better if UIN Jakarta do not open Agribusiness department,
" Khoiriyyah said on Friday (16/5).
Khoiriyyah said, the disappointment of Agribusiness students increased
when they know the
laboratory conversion into Han Cultural Studies Center takes
place in the period of Agribusiness
students planted melon
and tomato crops.
Whereas, based on Khoiriyyah, the plants would be harvested in
just one month ahead.
Khoiriyyah together
with #SaveKebunAgri movement, a movement on the social networking site Twitter which came out because of disappointment of
Agribusiness students against unclear status of the laboratory, at
least have four demands.
In the outline, that
movement asked the clarity of botanical laboratory law status and certainty
about no longer botanical laboratory conversion. They also asked
UIN to provide
Agribusiness botanical lab facilities and prioritize the interests of the academic
development.
At first, when it came to the preparation cornerstone-laying of Han Cultural Studies Center building, UIN planned to cut off all melons and tomatoes which became the practicum object. However, Fatma
negotiated to maintain
Agribusiness students plants until the plants harvested.
Because the laboratory was converted, a
couple
weeks ago Vice Rector (Warek) II for General Administration,
Amsal Bakhtiar recommended several places in Ciputat, Cikuya, Sawangan, and
Lampung to PLT. After reviewing the
places,
PLT finally chose Ciputat as
the location of Agribusiness botanical laboratory. "Although
we regretted
about the conversion of the
lab,
for us
size is doesn’t matter. The most
important thing is the location easy-accessed by the students," said Fatma.
Responding to the displacement of the botanical laboratory into Jl.
Puri Intan, Pisangan, Ciputat,
Khoiriyyah said that new
botanical laboratory
was not as expected because the area
is so narrow. He
said, a new lab area is
only 1760
square meters while ideally botanical
garden for Agribusiness laboratory measures 5000 square meters for
two classes.
Responding to Khoiriyyah, Rector of UIN Jakarta,
Komaruddin Hidayat said
that not only the botanical laboratory field, UIN Jakarta's main campus area is also still too narrow. “Do not expect this new field was permanent. This field was narrow and not
suitable as a laboratory area," said Komaruddin when met at his
office on Wednesday
(21/5) .
A Himagri demand which desires no longer conversion of the botanical laboratory
also seems difficult to be realized because that new area was listed in UIN Jakarta’s Master Plan. In the draft of Master Plan, the new laboratory area at Jl. Puri Intan Pisangan will be build as a bridge. Amsal explained, the new lab in Pisangan can only be used for at least 5-10 years .
In anticipation for the
new laboratory which can be used only 5-10 years, UIN Jakarta plans to buy area
in Cinangka, Depok. Amsal says, that one hectare area is permanent. He explained, the
distance and accesibility from campus to Cinangka is so relative. "Moreover,
today many students have motor vehicles,"
he said on Friday (23/5) morning .
Related to the development
of Han Cultural Studies
Center,
Amsal describes that the development is in the process of determining the
tender. "The whole cost of developing the building is responsibility of Buddha
Amitabha Foundation Indonesia," says Amsal.
(Syah Rizal/ AF)
