UIN Overrides Agribussiness Botanical Laboratory

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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 early2008 the laboratory area at Jl. Pisangan convertedinto 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 complainabout the clarity of laboratory field status. Khoiriyyah, a student of Agribusiness Department who joined in the #SaveKebunAgri movement, assumed that the conversionwhich already happened twice indicates UINis notserious 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 developof 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 takesplace 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 maintainAgribusiness students plants until the plants harvested.

Because the laboratory was converted, a coupleweeks ago Vice Rector (Warek) II for General Administration,Amsal Bakhtiar recommended several places in Ciputat, Cikuya, Sawangan, and Lampung to PLT. After reviewing theplaces, PLT finally chose Ciputat as the location of Agribusiness botanical laboratory. “Although we regretted about the conversion of the lab, for ussize 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 laboratorywas not as expected because the areais 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 saidthat 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 laboratoryalso 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 StudiesCenter, 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)