Academics speak with White House representative about scientific cooperation

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 01/28/2010 10:51 PM

Academics from universities across Indonesia conveyed Thursday their wishes and woes to a number of listeners in Jakarta, including a representative of the White House, through a video conference.

The conference was held to discuss scientific cooperation programs between Indonesia and the US Jason Rao, the Senior Policy Advisor from the White House office of Science and Technology Policy, listened and responded to inquiries from academics, who voiced their concerns on various matters, ranging from visa problems for scholarship winners to the possibility of having more lecturers from the US teach at Indonesian universities.

Rao said that the discussion held that day would provide input for President Barack Obama's upcoming visit.

Nada D.S. Marsudi, the Director for International Research at the office of the State Research and Technology Ministry’s Science and Technology Program, said that one important plan was renewing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) of scientific cooperation between the two countries.

“The MoU is required as a basis for Indonesia and US science and technology cooperation,” Nada said.

She said the two countries had an MoU between them from 1978 to 2002, but the initiative to renew it had only begun in 2008.

“However, all this time scientific and research cooperation has remained active,” Nada said. (dina)

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