USU PR—Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) awarded an Honorary Doctorate to Soedjai Kartasasmita in Biotechnology Development of Plantations at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The award ceremony took place on the 8th floor of the Digital Learning Center Building on Monday (May 27, 2024)

This award is part of USU's tradition to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to society and science. Soedjai Kartasasmita is the third person to receive an honorary doctorate.

USU Rector, Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., explained that the evaluation process for granting this degree took approximately three years, starting from the initial proposal submitted by the community. This process was carried out in accordance with the USU Rector Regulation No. 23 of 2022 regarding the Granting of an Honorary Doctorate.

The rector stated that Soedjai Kartasasmita's contributions inspire the younger generation, especially Generation Z, who have shown declining interest in the agricultural and plantation sectors. Collaboration between universities and industries is expected to accelerate innovation and the welfare of Indonesian society.

"This role is very important for the younger generation, especially Gen-Z, who show declining interest in the agricultural and plantation sectors," said Prof. Muryanto.

The USU rector added that today's honorary doctorate award ceremony was held to provide inspirational solutions to humanitarian problems and to contribute to the advancement of civilization, which will be very useful for the young generation of Indonesia.

In his virtual acceptance speech, Soedjai Kartasasmita expressed deep gratitude to all parties who have appreciated his efforts in developing the plantation sector in Indonesia.

Soedjai Kartasasmita also delivered a scientific speech entitled "Plantation Development as an Agent of Sustainable Development," emphasizing the importance of human resources, scientific management, and technology in advancing the plantation industry.

Soedjai Kartasasmita highlighted three important aspects of his speech. First, he emphasized the central role of human resources in transforming natural potential into innovation that supports industrial and economic growth.

Soedjai Kartasasmita sees that the key to advancing plantations is developing human resources (HR) and technology.

"Only HR rich in knowledge can generate innovation and apply technology and management to improve the business efficiency of plantations in Indonesia," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of strong networks with knowledge centers, information, and domestic and international businesses to develop the plantation business. As part of his efforts to advance this sector, he developed a cooking oil factory using palm oil as raw material in 1977. Despite facing various challenges, he successfully demonstrated that palm oil cooking oil can become an important commodity in the global market.

"Unfortunately, according to business analysis at that time, it took a long time for (palm oil cooking oil) to be adopted by the public, so this factory had its raw material quota limited," he explained.

He also highlighted the importance of utilizing biotechnology and research related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to increase the productivity of plantations and agriculture in Indonesia. With limited land, applying the latest technology and innovation is necessary to face climate change and other environmental challenges.

"Even with all the pros and cons, we must try the development of GMOs if our beloved country does not want to be left behind by other countries," he said.

USU Professor Prof. Ir. Zulkifli Nasution, M.Sc, Ph.D., as the promoter, added that the granting of this honorary degree is based on findings that benefit human life. He believes that Soedjai Kartasasmita deserves to be awarded an honorary degree because of his technological contributions to science and the benefits they bring to society.