Jakarta, August 28, 2021 – Indonesia is an archipelagic country that is blessed with a diversity of tribes, cultures, languages and religions that are known to foreign countries. To maintain this diversity, an active role from Indonesian citizens is needed in preserving the nation's cultural heritage. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (BCA) as part of the community also pays attention to cultural preservation through the collaboration with Nusantara Institute and Nusantara Kita Foundation. This preservation effort is realized through the 2021 Nusantara Award.
The Nusantara Award has been implemented since 2019. This is a form of appreciation for both individuals and organizations who have contributed to the preservation of culture, religion, and diversity in Indonesia. This activity is one of the initiatives owned by BCA through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, i.e. Bakti BCA.
In 2021, this collaboration will be realized through the 2021 Nusantara Award, which today is entering the final stage, awarding for award recipients. This awarding event was held virtually in conjunction with the cultural archipelago dialogue with Nusantara Merdeka theme. This activity was attended by BCA Executive Vice President of CSR Inge Setiawati, Founder and Director of Nusantara Institute Prof. Sumanto Al Qurtuby MSi, MA, PhD, Co-Founder of Nusantara Kita Foundation Ida Widyastuti, National Director of Gusdurian Network Indoneisa and Culture Enthusiast Inaya Wahid and the winners of the Nusantara Academic Award, Nusantara Writing Grant and Waskita Nusantara Award on Saturday (28/08).
"Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country in the world and has cultural diversity that is spread throughout almost all regions. Cultural preservation has become an absolute obligation for us as citizens. Such an awarding event is a special moment and needs to be appreciated, especially for all participants who have devoted their time and thoughts to explore the cultural potentials of the nation. BCA's participation in cultural preservation has become a part of Corporate Social Responsibility pillars," said Inge Setiawati.
The 2021 Nusantara Award consisted of three categories, i.e. the Nusantara Academic Award (NAA) which was an academic award for dissertation or thesis writing with the cultural theme, the Waskita Nusantara Award (WNA) which was a non-academic award for cultural preservationists and the Nusantara Writing Grant (NWG) which was a scholarship awarded for the writers of thesis and dissertations with the cultural theme. To be part of this award, a fairly strict selection was carried out, for example an internal selection by the Nusantara Institute to select a number of shortlisted candidates who were eligible to be interviewed online (Zoom) by a team of panelists or a jury consisting of scholars, academics, experts, and specialists in accordance with the topic of the thesis/dissertation, other than from the Nusantara Institute.
Founder and Director of the Nusantara Institute Prof. Sumanto Al Qurtuby M.Si, M.A, Ph.D said "I really appreciate BCA's care and commitment to preserving the culture of the archipelago because there are very few big companies that care about preserving local culture in Indonesia. NAA, NWG, and WNA programs are parts of the effort to preserve the diverse cultures of the archipelago,"
In 2021, around 115 master's thesis and doctoral dissertations were submitted by applicants from various universities in Indonesia and abroad. As for the NWG, more than 130 proposals, both thesis and dissertations, were submitted. From the number of documents received, 9 awardees were selected today, consisting of 2 awards for the NAA category, 2 awards for the WNA category and 5 awards for the NWG category.
In addition to awarding, there will also be an archipelago dialogue guided by Inaya Wahid with the Nusantara Merdeka theme, which will feature inspiring stories from the winners of the 2021 Nusantara Academic Award, the Nusantara Writing Grant and the Waskita Nusantara Award.
One of the NAA awardees, Dr. Ida Ayu Laksmita Sari said that this Nusantara Award was very noble because it encouraged real action in the process of preserving and developing the culture of the archipelago. “I feel a significant change from cultural preservation carried out by the community, especially young people in the Bali Aga area, North Bali, where I have conducted field research since 2015. Now they have the initiatives to explore the potentials of folklore, culture, gastronomy, and tourism which are considered to be crucial to support the local economy,”
In conclusion, Inge emphasized that BCA was committed to supporting such positive activities. BCA believes that support for this cultural preservation will further strengthen the unity of Indonesia with the meaning of 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika'.
Awarding Ceremony of Nusantara Award and Merdeka Nusantara Dialogue – BCA Executive Vice President of CSR Inge Setiawati (third row, left), and Founder and Director of the Nusantara Institute Prof. Sumanto Al Qurtuby M.Si, M.A, Ph.D (third row, right) along with the winners of the Nusantara Award in the awarding ceremony for the winners of the Nusantara Academic Award, Nusantara Writing Grant and Waskita Nusantara Award on Saturday (28/08). BCA as part of the community also pays attention to cultural preservation through the collaboration with the Nusantara Institute and the Nusantara Kita Foundation which is realized through the 2021 Nusantara Award.
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About PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (as of 30 June 2021)
BCA is one of the leading commercial banks in Indonesia with the core business of transaction banking. BCA also offers a full range of financial services in consumer, SME, commercial and corporate segments. As of June 2021, BCA has the privilege of serving more than 26 million customer accounts, processing around 41 million of daily transactions through a network of 1,013 branches; 17,721 ATMs as well as the 24-hour internet & mobile banking systems; supported by 24/7 Halo BCA contact center. BCA’s presence is complemented by a number of subsidiaries focusing on vehicle financing, sharia banking, securities, general and life insurance, digital bank, remittance as well as venture capital business. BCA is committed to building lasting relationship with customers, putting people first, and making positive impact on society at large. With more than 25,000 employees, BCA's vision is to be the bank of choice and a major pillar of the Indonesia economy.
For more information, please contact :
PT BANK CENTRAL ASIA TBK
Corporate Secretariat Division – Corporate Communication Sub Division
Public Relations Bureau
Address : Jl. MH Thamrin No. 1
Menara BCA Grand Indonesia 20th Floor
Jakarta Pusat 10310
Phone : (021) 2358-8000
Fax : (021) 2358-8300
E-mail : humas@bca.co.id
