Sukanto Tanoto is Not Interested in Building University

Education is a field that many people in the family of Sukanto Tanoto get involved at. Sukanto Tanoto started Tanoto Foundation, a philanthropy foundation that main work is supporting education. His wife, Tinah Bingei, and his children, Andreas and Imelda, are also involved in the foundation as members of board of trustee. The foundation spends around IDR 15 billion per year on students in Indonesia alone, and this money goes to scholarship programs for students from many different study fields.

Sukanto Tanoto also has program to build or renovate local schools and buy books and other teaching materials, as well as other supporting facilities like libraries. However, despite already having several schools and scholarship programs, Sukanto Tanoto family has no intention to build universities.

Cooperation, Key of Tanoto Foundation Programs

While Sukanto admitted that he is interested in building his own university under Tanoto Foundation, that program is still considered as too big. Since there are already many reputable universities in various areas in Indonesia, Sukanto Tanoto and family have not yet thinking about starting new of such educational institutions. Their principle in education is not competing against other institutions, but rather working together in similar goal of improving Indonesia’s quality of human resources.

According to Andreas Tanoto, Tanoto Foundation works by cooperating with other educational institutes to improve education in Indonesia and other countries where his father’s companies located, including in Singapore and China. So far, the programs have been successful in creating new generations of professionals and potential human resources. However, since the foundation does not aim to open universities, Tanoto Foundation chooses to work together with other universities.

Building School and Supporting Local Education

When it comes to build educational institution, Sukanto Tanoto with his foundation chooses to build elementary schools and supporting facilities. He gives financial support for farmers and locals who live within the operational areas of his factories so their children can finish basic education. As for schools outside his operational areas, he gives financial support and rebuilds their educational facilities such as libraries.

Recently, Tanoto Foundation has just built pre-school in Jakarta, with holistic concept. Started with professional early education teachers and staff members, Sukanto Tanoto hoped that the school not only encourages children to pursue basic education and increase their basic competencies, but also motivate their parents to earn better life and livelihood. He also plans to open similar schools for early education in several other areas.