Mataram, the University of Mataram– Australian Consul-General, Anthea Griffin held an Australian Alumni Gala Dinner at the Prime Park Hotel to celebrate 70th years of Australian Scholarships in Indonesia on Wednesday (30/8) evening.

The event was attended by around 100 Indonesian students who graduated from Australian universities to commemorate 70th years since the first batch of Colombo Plan scholarship recipients from Indonesia arrived in Australia.

The Australian scholarship program (Australia Awards) is the longest overseas scholarship program in Indonesia for seven decades. Australia has collaborated with Indonesia to develop human resources, respond to social and economic development priorities, and create and maintain close relations between Australia and Indonesia.

“The personal relationships forged through education are at the core of our relationship. This relationship is the foundation for Australia and Indonesia to work together to support the stability, security and prosperity of our people and region,” said Anthea Griffin, Consul-General of Australia in Bali, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

It was stated that Australia has more than 200,000 alumni in Indonesia, including senior government officials and business leaders. The alumni are vital in deepening cooperation between Australia and Indonesia to share security and prosperity.

“Our alumni are an extraordinary group of thinkers and leaders. They each play important roles in their workplaces, organizations, and communities. They are shaping the future of their country, contributing to the diversity and dynamism that define modern Indonesia,” said Consul General Anthea Griffin.

The gala dinner was presented a long with the awards given to Australian university alumni who have made a major contribution and commitment to the relationship between Indonesia and Australia.

The Rector of the University of Mataram Prof. Ir. Bambang Hari Kusumo, M.Agr.St., Ph.D. received the award “In recognition of your achievements and longstanding commitment to the Australia-Indonesia relationship”

Prof. Bambang graduated from the master’s program at the University of Queensland in 2000. He is also a Professor at the Unram Faculty of Agriculture and he was the Vice Director I of the Unram Postgraduate Program, and Head of the Rural Development Research Center.

“Of course, this is encouraging and a matter of pride for me personally as an Australian Development Scholarship alumni. The possibility that they see is my achievement as a professor and then now as the Rector of Unram, but not only achievement but there is a long term commitment. Of course I am personally proud and as the Rector, this is also an appreciation for Unram, not me personally but an appreciation for Unram as well,” explained Prof. Bambang.

The Rector of Unram said that, Unram continues to maintain good relations with Australia, specifically with educational institutions and research institutions in Australia. Unram has a very long history in collaborating with Australia.

The Rector of Unram is currently assigned as Coordinator of International Cooperation by the Council of Rector of Indonesian State Universities (MRPTNI) to build international cooperation.

“I want to continue to work with Australia, in fact I am currently initiating what is called a Joint Working Group between universities in Indonesia and universities in Australia. But of course not only that, I am also initiating cooperation between Unram and many universities in Australia,” said the 10th Rector of Unram.

Prof. Bambang said that there were several other countries that were targeted to the Joint Working Group, namely universities in New Zealand, South Korea and China.

Beside of the Rector of Unram, the awards was also given to Prof. Ir. H. Mansur Ma’shum, Ph.D. who is an alumni of the Australian scholarship, namely the Colombo Plan at Adelaide University in 1983 – 1989. Prof. Mansur also served as the Rector of Unram for two terms (2001-2009), he has retired after 46 years of service in the education sector and scientific development.