Last modified: Monday, May 21, 2012
New partnership agreement, address at education ministry highlight IU trip to Indonesia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 25, 2012
JAKARTA, INDONESIA -- Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie will visit the Republic of Indonesia today through Tuesday, seeking to strengthen IU's connections with the Southeast Asian nation's leading universities. He also will give an address at the Indonesian Education Ministry.
McRobbie, accompanied by IU Vice President for International Affairs David Zaret, is visiting Indonesia as part of an 11-day, four-country trip, which began May 21, to Southeast Asia.
Today, he will sign a new partnership agreement with one of the region's consistently top-ranked universities, Indonesia's Universitas Gadjah Mada.
On Monday, May 28, McRobbie will speak at the Indonesian Education Ministry about the U.S. higher education system and engagement with Indonesia, where IU is part of a USAID project emphasizing the development of higher education leadership graduate programs.
During his talk, McRobbie is expected to address representatives from about two dozen universities in the region.
During an alumni gathering later that day, he will present the Thomas Hart Benton Medal -- given to individuals who have achieved a level of distinction in public office or service and have exemplified the values of IU -- to IU School of Education alumnus H.A.R. Tilaar, emeritus professor at the State University of Jakarta.
IU has nearly 800 living alumni in Indonesia. IU's ties to Indonesia go back to the late 1950s, when IU's 11th President Herman B Wells made a formal visit.
On Tuesday, May 29, McRobbie will meet with IU Maurer School of Law alumnus David L. Carden, the United States' first resident ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Earlier this month, Carden served as commencement speaker at IU Bloomington's ceremony honoring students receiving graduate degrees.
Daily blog entries from the entire trip will be prepared by Shawn Conner, associate director of international partnerships at IU, and will be made available periodically in the IU News Room section of the university's website, and on the website for the Office of the President.
Photos and additional information about the trip can be made available upon request.
