For more than a decade, L’Oréal Indonesia and the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia have joined forces to support young girls and female scientists through L’Oréal and UNESCO For Women in Science and L’Oréal For Girls in Science. This year, L’Oréal as a company that is rooted in science, has embarked on an exciting and integrated science initiative with the implementation of L’Oréal Sorority in Science, a program for outstanding female university students. L’Oréal Sorority in Science is a new scholarship program targeted at underprivileged female university students who study science and choose science as their future career. Selected students will each be awarded IDR 20 million for living or studying cost. L’Oréal and UNESCO FWIS National fellows were heavily involved during the socialization of this program.
The Directorate General of Higher Education in Indonesia reveals that there were 239.339 female students received a Bachelor’s degree and 18.560 received a Master’s degree in 2014. However, only 516 of them decided to pursue a PhD, meaning that only 0.2% of female Bachelor graduates enrolled for a PhD degree last year. In addition, Indonesia is one of the countries with the lowest shares of population attending primary schools. Only 52% of the populations in Indonesia attend primary schools compared to 61% for India. This is one of the reasons why, in addition to ongoing L’Oréal and UNESCO FWIS and LGIS projects, L’Oréal has launched their new LSIS program which is aimed at promoting science to underprivileged female university students. “Science is the key that drives and accelerates a country’s progress, without it a nation cannot progress successfully and sustainably. As a company that spends more on science than any other beauty company in the world, we together with KNIU are determined to boost the number of female scientists by implementing an integrated science project for women, regardless their key educational stages. As such, L’Oréal aims to show that beauty is a science and that women who practice science make a beautiful contribution to the world”, explains Melanie Masriel who is Head of Communications of PT L’Oréal Indonesia.
“According to the latest data about the number of female students by the Directorate General of Higher Education, for the past decades, only 7% of female Bachelor’s graduates pursued Master’s Degree and as little as 3% of Master’s students enrolled in a PhD study in Indonesia. It is unfortunate that women are still under-presented at all levels of scientific research, especially in emerging countries like Indonesia. Despite excellent university results, relatively few women make it to strategic positions. With a constant efforts and supports, KNIU hopes that L’Oréal Science Projects will be able to increase the number of women researchers for the betterment of communities in Indonesia”, said Prof. Dr. Arief Rachman Mpd who is the Chairman of the Indonesian National Commission for UNESCO Ministry of Education and Culture. For more than a decade, L’Oréal has annually granted L’Oréal and UNESCO FWIS National fellowships to outstanding young women researchers, in the categories of Life Sciences and Material Sciences worth Rp 80 million each. To date, L’Oréal Indonesia has awarded the fellowship to 37 extraordinary fellows to conduct their research projects, 5 of whom have been recognized internationally.
“I am honored to yet again chair the judging panel for Life and Material Sciences of the L’Oréal and UNESCO For Women in Science National 2015 program. Past winning research proposals have one thing in common. They all aimed at helping to provide a better future for mankind, especially for Indonesia. We hope that more young female scientists will participate in this program and they can inspire and be the role models for our younger generations”, states Prof. Dr. Endang Sukara who is the Chair of L’Oréal and UNESCO FWIS judging panel. “It is a highly prestigious fellowship and I am grateful and proud to be part of this community. I urge other young female scientists to participate in this program as this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Through this program, not only I have been able to develop my research further, but I have also been able to share my knowledge with other scientists and university students about science”, stated Drh. Fitriya Nur Annisa Dewi, PhD who is the L’Oréal and UNESCO FWIS National 2014 Fellow.
For female high school students, the number one beauty company conducts an annual nationwide science competition for high school female students, entitled “L’Oréal For Girls in Science” to promote science as a fun, creative and vitally promising field of career. “Today, we call on all female young researchers in Indonesia to join in L’Oréal and UNESCO FWIS National program by submitting their research proposals for the opportunity to become winners of this year’s fellowship program. Under the auspices of this program, L’Oréal For Girls in Science is ready to inspire our younger generation about science. It is a program where girls who have a desire to make “what if” possible and learn how to make them a reality. Their newest program, Sorority in Science will serve as a bridge of L’Oréal and UNESCO FWIS and LGIS”, said Melanie Masriel. The L’Oréal and UNESCO FWIS National 2015 program is now open to all young Indonesian female researchers whom have at least a master degree and are currently 40 years old or younger. The application for the program can be downloaded via L’Oréal Indonesia official website www.loreal.co.id.