New Lecturer at Polman Negeri Babel Tells of Academic Journey and Love for Tea
In this episode of Pod-M, Limartaida Siahaan discusses her journey as a tea lover and alumna of National Chung Hsing University Taiwan, as well as her hopes of bringing new enthusiasm to the Polman Babel environment.
The podcast of the Bangka Belitung State Manufacturing Polytechnic (Polman Babel), Pod-M, is back with the latest episode that explores another side of inspiring young lecturers, Tuesday (04/15/2025)
This time, it was Limartaida Siahaan, S.Agr., M.Sc., a lecturer from the Precision Agriculture Applied Undergraduate Study Program, who was a guest star in a warm conversation with host Lamia Eva Rini, MBA.
In the casual but meaningful chat, Limartaida or who is familiarly called Marta, shared many stories about her academic journey and her interest in the world of tea. Yes, tea. A topic that may sound simple, but holds a lot of philosophy and personal experience for this young lecturer.
Marta is one of the new lecturers who has joined Polman Babel. With a master's degree from National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan, he brings a fresh perspective to the rapidly growing world of precision agriculture on campus," he said.
He said that since 2019, he has started to seriously study tea, not only as an everyday drink, but as a culture and science that deserves to be explored more deeply.
"Tea is not just a drink, but it can be a way to get to know yourself," he said.
Her interest in tea began while studying in Taiwan. The country of Formosa is known to have a strong tea-drinking tradition, and from there Marta began to explore various types of tea, the correct way to brew it, and the philosophical meaning behind a cup of tea.
Not only sharing about tea, Marta also shared the twists and turns of her struggle to pursue a master's degree abroad. She emphasized the importance of getting out of the comfort zone and continuing to try new things, especially for students who have big dreams.
"Studying abroad is not just about academics, but also about survival, learning new cultures, and getting to know many perspectives and experiences. This is also what she wants to pass on to Polman Babel students so that they dare to dream further," she said.
Marta's presence at Polman Babel not only enriches the ranks of lecturers, but also opens up space for cross-cultural and cross-interest discussions. In fact, she hopes that in the future she can initiate activities around tea that can involve students and other academics.
"Who knows, maybe later we can create a tea club or tea brewing workshop that is linked to precision farming," he concluded.
