Jakarta. Conglomerate Astra on Wednesday hosted a series of webinars about education and innovations as part of its 65th-anniversary celebrations.

The webinars also commemorate National Education Day, which falls on May 2. Aside from webinars, Astra also presented its social contributions to support quality education in Indonesia.

"Hopefully, this will help pave the way for an inclusive and equitable quality education as envisioned on the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals]," Astra director Johannes Loman said.

Astra's 65th anniversary takes on the theme of "the Spirit of Moving and Growing Together". It invites all Astra employees and people across the archipelago to spread positivity and optimism while also moving and growing together towards a better future.

This month, as part of its 65th anniversary, Astra will host various inspirational events, including  Sustainability Webinar, InnovNation Webinar, Astra Career Meet Up, and Virtual  Exhibition, to name a few. There will also be Kreasi Nusantara Wilayah Jawa, awarding ceremonies for its photography and journalism competitions. All these virtual events are accessible via the digital platform 65tahunastra.jagat.live and will take place until May 20.

The Sustainability Webinar —themed "Vocational: Strengthen The Present, Re-Imagine the Future"— focuses on vocational education. Speakers include Agus Susilohadi of the Education and Culture Ministry, Astra Polytechnic director Tony Harley Silalahi, vocational school alumni Marissa Anita, and 2019 Satu Indonesia Awards education category awardee Ai Nurhidayat.

The InnovNation Webinar embraces the theme "Muda Merdeka, Merdeka Belajar" — a call for youths to embrace the freedom of learning. Speaking in this webinar is Maman Sulaeman, who received the 2021 SATU Indonesia Awards in the category of selfless champions amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Followed by a webinar on “Education is Our Responsibility” with Semua Murid Semua Guru founder Najeela Shihab.

Contribution for Education

Astra also kicked off the SMK BISA national showcase in Ponorogo, East Java, which was the group's contribution to helping vocational schools in Indonesia. The group's subsidiaries Astra, Auto2000, Astra Daihatsu Motor, Astra Honda Motor United Tractors, Patria, and Astragraphia also participate in this program.

For 65 years, Astra has helped more than 21,000 schools, of which 3,320 were vocational high schools. Astra has also provided 276,000 scholarship packages and supported 985 early childhood education schools as of end-2021.

The group's foundation, Yayasan Astra Bina Ilmu, will soon inaugurate constructing a new campus in Astra Polytechnic in Delta Silicon II, Cikarang. The new campus will stretch 5 hectares and has a capacity of more than 2,000 vocational students.

Through its foundations, Yayasan Toyota-Astra and Yayasan Astra Honda Motor, to name a few, Astra strives to hone the skills of Indonesia's workforce via hardware, software, and brainware approach at various education levels. Other Astra foundations Yayasan Amaliah Astra, Yayasan Karya Bakti United Tractors, Yayasan Pendidikan Astra-Michael D. Ruslim and Yayasan Astra Agro Lestari, are also supporting a similar cause.

The Astra 65th birthday celebrations will take place from May to Nov. 2022