Balikpapan– As the 79th anniversary of Indonesia's independence approaches, PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) has awarded scholarships to 15 outstanding students from Kalimantan through the Sobat Bumi Kalimantan Scholarship Program/ Beasiswa Sobat Bumi Kalimantan(BSBK). The BSBK program provides full scholarships to selected high school graduates and equivalents for undergraduate studies at universities in Kalimantan. The official scholarship award ceremony occurred at an inauguration event in Balikpapan on Friday (August 16, 2024).

This year marks the inaugural implementation of the BSBK program, one of PHI's flagship CSR initiatives in education, aimed at supporting the realization of Indonesia Gold 2045 through developing quality human resources. The inauguration event was attended by the Head of the East Kalimantan Provincial Education and Culture Office, Muhammad Kurniawan; the Head of SKK Migas Kalimantan Sulawesi (Kalsul) Representative, Azhari Idris; PHI President Director; Sunaryanto; Pertamina Foundation Operations Director Yulius S. Bulo; and management from SKK Migas Kalsul and PHI. To implement this scholarship program, PHI is collaborating with the Pertamina Foundation (PF) as the program's executing partner. The BSBK program is supported by PHI's subsidiaries, namely PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS), and PT Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur (PHKT).

Muhammad Kurniawan, Head of the East Kalimantan Provincial Education and Culture Office, praised the BSBK program for integrating human resource quality improvement with environmental preservation. "This scholarship is a perfect example and can be emulated by other companies because it encourages students to excel while preserving Indonesia's environment," said Kurniawan.

The scholarship recipients will pursue higher education at top universities in Kalimantan that partner with the BSBK Program, including Universitas Borneo Tarakan (North Kalimantan); Universitas Mulawarman and Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (East Kalimantan); and Universitas Lambung Mangkurat (South Kalimantan).

Meanwhile, Azhari Idris, Head of SKK Migas Kalsul, enthusiastically welcomed the BSBK Program and empowered the scholarship recipients to make the most of the opportunity to become excellent individuals who can advance Kalimantan. "This program is a manifestation of the upstream oil and gas industry's commitment to contribute to developing local human resource quality. You are the ones who will play a crucial role in advancing Kalimantan. Make the most of the scholarship provided by PHI, achieve accomplishments, and graduate," Azhari urged the scholarship recipients.

At the same event, PHI President Director Sunaryanto, commonly known as Anto, stated that the BSBK Program demonstrates PHI's commitment to continually improving the quality of education for the community. "Through this program, PHI and its subsidiaries aim to provide opportunities and access to potential local students, especially those from underprivileged families, to obtain quality higher education," he said.

Anto hopes scholarship recipients will utilize their educational opportunities to gain knowledge, broaden their horizons, build professional networks, and achieve a brighter future. "This scholarship program will allow recipients to acquire knowledge, develop an environmentally friendly mindset, strengthen their love for Indonesian culture, and gain skills in renewable energy activation. We hope the BSBK Program will serve as a bridge to achieve their dreams," said Anto.

The BSBK Program is the first full scholarship initiative by the company in collaboration with Pertamina Foundation as the implementing partner. The program offers full scholarships for undergraduate studies to high school graduates from schools registered in this program, especially those from underprivileged families. As an inclusive program, it also provides equal opportunities to individuals with disabilities who meet the requirements.

Pertamina Foundation Operations Director Yulius S. Bulo noted that the selected scholarship recipients were chosen through a professionally managed selection process and a joint decision between PHI and Pertamina Foundation. "As the implementing partner, we have experience managing scholarship programs from Holding and Subholding Pertamina. Therefore, we ensure that the selection is carried out professionally with evaluation through an online ranking system from the initial administrative stages, academic potential tests, interviews, to the final selection of scholarship recipients," said Bulo.

The scholarship components provided in the BSBK Program include education fees (tuition and other costs), living and support expenses, environmental capacity building, and Sobat Bumi activities. The BSBK Program also supports the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), precisely Goal 4 on Education, Goal 7 on Clean and Affordable Energy, and Goal 13 on Climate Action, as scholarship recipients will participate in Sobat Bumi activation activities.

One of the scholarship recipients, Khairunnisa, expressed her gratitude for the BSBK Program, which has allowed her to continue her education and make her parents and family proud. "This achievement is the result of our efforts in preparing for various stages of selection, overcoming fatigue, and continuously striving, along with our prayers. We hope that the BSBK Program will continue to be a bridge for Kalimantan's children to become outstanding and competitive generations," she said. Khairunnisa graduated from SMAN 1 Tanjung, South Kalimantan, and has been accepted into the Environmental Engineering program at Universitas Lambung Mangkurat.

Information about the BSBK Program can also be accessed through the official social media channels of PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia and Pertamina Foundation.

PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) is part of Pertamina's Upstream Subholding, managing upstream oil and gas operations in Regional 3 Kalimantan by Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, with a vision to become a world-class oil and gas company. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates working with SKK Migas, PHI implements innovative Corporate Social Responsibility programs in the fields of Economy, Education, Health, Environment, Infrastructure, and Disaster Response to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and realize #EnergiKalimantanUntukIndonesia. PHI is headquartered in Jakarta. More information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.