To start the year 2023, SEAMEO BIOTROP is holding a dissemination activity for its flagship program and the Golden Ticket program. Through this program, it is hoped that more high school graduates will be able to continue their studies at a higher level and also create young entrepreneurs. The event was held on January 10, 2023 in the Jati Room of SEAMEO BIOTROP and online through the zoom platform.

Through the Golden Ticket program, prospective students can register for the Distance Education (PJJ) D3 Computer Engineering program at the State Polytechnic of Electronics in Surabaya (PENS) without taking an entrance exam. Prospective students can take courses while still in high school and the certification of completion from these courses will be converted into credit hours during their college studies.

In his statement, Drs. Edy Purwanto, Head of the Vocational High School Division of West Java Education Office, said "The Golden Ticket is a pattern for increasing human resources, with the goal of eliminating unemployment among high school graduates and turning them into college graduates and entrepreneurs."

"This is closely related to the number of vocational high school graduates in West Java which is relatively high, reaching 1.6 million students every year. Therefore, breakthroughs need to be made through Innovation, Collaboration, and Decentralization," he continued.

The Computer Engineering program as the goal of the Golden Ticket is also considered very strategic. IT technology has made it possible to improve the efficiency of a process, both in terms of communication, as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, but also in other fields such as fisheries, agriculture, and small and medium enterprises. Through the Golden Ticket program, prospective students are invited to think critically from the high school level. Students are expected to be able to solve problems related to various themes, such as tourism, digitalization of schools, and food security.

Dr. Gatot Hari Priowirjanto hopes that SEAMEO BIOTROP can become a hub for the Golden Ticket program, where vocational high schools and high schools can conduct internships and courses in Bogor. Collaboration between the development of Information Technology led by PENS for packaging food security content, both agriculture and fisheries from SEAMEO BIOTROP.

Dr. Zulhamsyah Imran, Director of SEAMEO BIOTROP, emphasized in his presentation the importance of contributing to the education of future generations to become more motivated through various flagship programs of SEAMEO BIOTROP such as Agro-Eco-Edu Tourism school and Biodiversity school.

Dr. Reesa Akbar, as the Head of Distance Education Program at PENS, also presented about the Golden Ticket scheme and the Distance Learning D3 Information Technology Program at PENS, which allows students to work while studying. With consideration of more flexible, cost-effective, safe, and independent studies.

78 participants attended the event through zoom platform and in Jati Room, BIOTROP. Slamet Widodo Sugiarto, M.Sc. acted as the moderator of the event. (hcn).