Jakarta - The Sobat Bumi Kalimantan Scholarship Program/Beasiswa Sobat Bumi Kalimantan (BSBK), organized by PT Pertamina Hulu Indonesia (PHI) in collaboration with Pertamina Foundation (PF), has garnered an overwhelming response from students in Kalimantan. During the registration period from March 15th to 28th, 1,095 high school students (SMA) and equivalents registered.

After passing the initial selection stage, the chosen 60 students proceeded to the next stage, which involved the Academic Potential Test/Tes Potensi Akademik (TPA) held on May 4th-5th, 2024. The TPA was conducted online in collaboration with Pertamina University. During this stage, students answered 85 questions in the Scholastic Potential Test for 90 minutes, covering general reasoning ability, general knowledge, comprehension and reading, and quantitative knowledge.

Dony Indrawan, PHI's Communication Relations & CID Manager, stated that the purpose of conducting the TPA was to identify the talents and interests of students entering higher education. When they enroll in higher education institutions later, it is anticipated that they will readily adjust to the teaching and learning methodologies, thereby attaining both academic and non-academic excellence. "The BSBK program is one of PHI's commitments to continuously promote the quality of life improvement in the communities around the Company's operational areas. The success of BSBK program recipients in their studies will be a source of pride for their families and Kalimantan," said Dony.

Yulius S. Bulo, Pertamina Foundation Operations Director, added that the BSBK selection stages were designed to motivate students to adapt to the environment and learning in public universities. "TPA is usually one of the determining factors in the selection process for undergraduate and graduate levels. TPA is one way to get an overview of the potential of prospective students," explained Bulo.

Participants who have successfully passed the TPA selection will advance to the subsequent stage, which is an interview with representatives from PHI, PF, and pertinent stakeholders. "We conduct all these stages to ensure that BSBK recipients are truly qualified to enter public universities," emphasized Bulo.

The BSBK program provides full scholarships for undergraduate (S1) studies to high school graduates and equivalents from schools registered in this program, especially from underprivileged families. As an inclusive program, this scholarship program provides equal opportunities to qualified persons with disabilities. This year marks the inaugural year of the BSBK program, supported by PHI's subsidiary companies, namely PT Pertamina Hulu Mahakam (PHM), PT Pertamina Hulu Sanga Sanga (PHSS), and PT Pertamina Hulu Kalimantan Timur (PHKT).

This program's four partner universities are Universitas Borneo Tarakan (North Kalimantan), Universitas Mulawarman and Kalimantan Institute of Technology (East Kalimantan), and Universitas Lambung Mangkurat (South Kalimantan).

The BSBK program represents PHI's commitment to contributing to efforts aimed at enhancing the quality of education, including facilitating access to quality higher education. This CSR initiative in education further bolsters achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 4 on education, Goal 7 on clean and affordable energy, and Goal 13 on climate action, as scholarship recipients will actively engage in Sobat Bumi activations.

Details regarding the BSBK program are also available via 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 and manages upstream oil and gas operations by Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles in Regional 3 Kalimantan. Last year, in 2023, through its subsidiaries and affiliates collaborating with SKK Migas, PHI recorded oil production of 62.17 thousand barrels of oil per day (MBOPD) and gas production of 710 million standard cubic feet of gas per day (MMSCFD). In its vision to become a world-class oil and gas company, PHI continues implementing various innovations and technological applications to produce safe, efficient, reliable, compliant, and environmentally friendly energy to support #KalimantanEnergyForIndonesia. PHI's headquarters is in Jakarta. Further information about PHI is available at https://phi.pertamina.com.