Indonesia’s palm oil industry is facing an urgent need for skilled, adaptive, and technically capable human resources. This challenge resurfaced during the Human Resources Workshop for the Palm Oil Plantation Industry titled “Preparing HR to Support Sustainability in the Palm Oil Sector” held at INSTIPER Yogyakarta on Tuesday (9/12/2025), as part of the university’s 67th anniversary series. Dr. Purwadi, Director of the Palm Oil Science Center (PSKS) at INSTIPER and moderator of the event, stressed the crucial role of higher education institutions in producing high-quality talent for Indonesia’s plantation sector. “Palm oil is the backbone of Indonesia’s economy. Universities that focus on this sector must be able to produce industry-ready graduates with strong character and field competence. That has always been INSTIPER’s commitment,” he told InfoSAWIT . He emphasized that sustainability in the palm oil industry cannot be achieved without a competent workforce. More than 12 million workers, directly and indirectly, rely on palm oil for their livelihoods. The scale of the industry demands human resources who are skilled, experienced, and well-versed in sustainability principles. Purwadi also encouraged stronger collaboration between universities, companies, associations, and stakeholders. “We invite all players in the palm oil industry to jointly prepare HR that meets real industry needs—not only competent, but adaptive to technological change,” he said. Technology and Learning Innovation as Key Drivers INSTIPER Rector Dr. Harsawardana added that human resources are central to the progress of any industry, including palm oil. He stressed that the sector’s development must stay aligned with sustainable agricultural principles. “We continue to innovate in teaching methods, including the adoption of new technologies, so INSTIPER graduates are fully prepared for the rapidly changing industry landscape,” he said. According to him, INSTIPER has mapped out the key HR challenges in the sector and designed a curriculum to address them. Future palm oil professionals must be ready for fieldwork, possess resilience, and be skilled in technologies such as digital agronomy, data analytics, and modern mechanization. He added that inputs from palm oil companies provided during the workshop will be incorporated into INSTIPER’s academic evaluation. The aim is to ensure that graduates not only have strong technical abilities but also possess robust work ethics and a deep understanding of sustainability. “These inputs are essential to refine our learning strategies so that students become more critical, resilient, skilled, and technology-adaptive,” said Harsawardana.