INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON REGIONAL AND NATIONAL APPROACHES TOWARD THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND ASEAN AT GADJAH MADA UNIVERSITY, INDONESIA

From 03 to 05 October, 2017, Dr. Tran Dinh Lam, Director of Center for Vietnamese and Southeast Asian Studies (CVSEAS), attended the international conference on regional and national approaches towards the sustainable development goals in Southeast Asia and ASEAN jointly organized by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences and Center for ASEAN Studies, Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia), alongside Groningen Research Center for Southeast Asia and ASEAN (the Netherlands) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Other participants included Dr. Dafri Agussalim – Director of Center for ASEAN Studies, Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia), Prof.Dr. Ronald Holzhacker – Director of Groningen Research Center for Southeast Asia and ASEAN (the Netherlands), Prof. Oscar Couwenberg – Dean of Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, Prof. Joost Herman – Director of Institute of Globalization Studies, University of Groningen, Dr. Subandi Sardjoko – Deputy Minister for Human and Societal Development and Cultural Affairs, Prof. Julio Teehankee from De La Salle University (the Philippines), Dr. Ulrich Karl Rotthoff from Center for Asian Studies, University of the Philippines (the Philippines), Dr. Azirah Binti Hashim – Dean of the Humanities Research Cluster, University of Malaya (Malaysia), Dr. Helena Varkkey from University of Malaya (Malaysia); Dr. Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti – Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Gadja Mada University, Dr. Titus C.Chen from Center for Southeast Asian Studies (Taiwan), Kimsan Soy from Centre for the Study of Humanitarian Law (Cambodia), Dr. Noor Hasharina Pg Hj Hassan from University of Brunei Darussalam (Bruinei), Dr. Maharani Hapsari, Prof. Laksono Trisnantoro, and Prof. Bakti (Bobi) Setiawan from Gadja Mada University (Indonesia). In addition, doctoral students following their study in the Netherlands also attended the conference.

The conference lasted for 3 days, during which professors and distinguished experts from visiting countries would have presentations on issues in national management toward sustainable development when they apply international agreements to their current national situation, challenges in the multi-level administration system when implementing socio-economic policies, and humanitarian values in the connections between human beings, the economic system and social context. The conference’s partcipants also spent time having discussions about the prospect of post-graduate training for Indonesia.

Several major events in the 3-day conference were as follows.

The conference was kicked off with welcoming remarks by Dr. Dafri Agussalim – Director of Center for ASEAN Studies, Dr. Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti – Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences and Prof. Ronald Holzhacker – Director of Groningen Research Center for Southeast Asia and ASEAN (the Netherlands). Their speeches mainly highlighted cooperation among organizations, the importance of the conference, and its contributions to ASEAN countries.

Prof.Dr. Ronald Holzhacker mentioned social responsibilities in the development process. If the countries in Southeast Asia aim at sustainable development, they need to advance their understanding of culture, socio-economic circumstances as well as sharing mutual concerns and trying to pursue 17 sustainable development goals: ending poverty, ending hunger, ensuring good health, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and sustainable energy, sustainable economic growth and productive employment, building resilient infrastructure, reducing inequality, making cities and human settlements sustainable, sustainable consumption and production, urgent action on climate change, conversing oceans, seas and marine resources, protecting environment and biodiversities, promoting peaceful societies and justice, and strengthening global partnerships for sustainable development. The professor also talked about Vietnam’s experience in alleviating poverty, highly valuing its efforts in the fight against poverty during the past years. According to the World Bank’s figures, Vietnam is one of the countries which have made remarkable progress in their poverty reduction, even surpassing China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines. More specifically, the percentage of the population living with $2 a day in Vietnam was 18% in 2010, while that figure in China was about 22%, 41% in the Philippines, 42% in Indonesia, and 69% in India.

Prof. Ronald also highlighted the issue of climate change, by implication reminding humankind to live in harmony with nature and not cause damage to the environment. In order to sustain people’s awareness of protecting the environment in the future, all countries should have mutual collaboration in educating young generations about the importance of the environment in Southeast Asian countries. Prof. Ronald particularly put emphasis on climate change research, hoping that everyone thinks about the impacts of climate change on humans at present and in the future. Sharing this viewpoint, Dr. Tran Dinh Lam introduced the REACT Project (strengthening climate change research and innovation capacities in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam), which has been jointly conducted by CVSEAS and the University of Alicante (Spain). He also passed out the project’s leaflets to the professors and doctoral students present at the conference with the hope that everyone will raise their awareness of climate change and contribute to environmental protection.

Dr. Tran Dinh Lam is introducing the REACT Project to Dr. Helena Varkkey, University of Malaya (Malaysia).

Dr. Tran Dinh Lam is introducing the REACT Project to Mr. Kuswanto, doctoral student of University of Groningen

Dr. Titus C. Chen from Taiwan had a speech in which he called for keeping the business environments transparent in both investing countries and those getting investments. When participating in the region’s business community, each country needs to create a friendly environment and goodwill towards other countries’ citizens, which will form a foundation for sustainable development among the countries involved. Accordingly, people have to respect not only their own country’s law but the regional and international laws as well in order to maintain peace and stability in the whole Southeast Asian region.

Upon the occasion, Dr. Tran Dinh Lam, on behalf of CVSEAS, presented two books titled Small and Medium-sized Enterprises: The way to success and The Economic, Cultural and Social Life of Bahnar People Sustainable Development, written by CVSEAS researchers and scholars, to Dr. Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, which will be stored in the library of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.

(L to R) Dr. Poppy Sulistyaning Winanti, Dr. Tran Dinh Lam and Dr. Dafri Agussalim when Dr. Tran Dinh Lam presents books to the guests.

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