Remarks at Australia-Indonesia Research Summit 2014
by Mr Greg Moriarty, Ambassador to Indonesia
Yang saya hormati…
• Bapak Nadjib Kesoema
• Harold Mitchell
• Representatives of DIKTI and RISTEK (names TBC)
• Professor Paul Ramadge, Director of the Australia-Indonesia Centre
• Professor Michael James, Head of Science, at the Australian Synchrotron
• Academics and researchers from across Australia and Indonesia
• Business leaders here today
Thank you very much Professor Ainun Na'im from the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture.
On behalf of the Australian Government let me congratulate you and Professor Ramadge from the Australia-Indonesia Centre for making this summit possible.
From Australia’s perspective, today’s summit adds further weight – serious weight – to the broad scope of Indonesia-Australia relations.
Because the bilateral relationship is larger than the respective governments.
It includes relationships between business, between our peoples, and between our institutions; including academic and educational institutions.
Across all these levels, Indonesia and Australia have shared interests.
Understanding these interests and putting together concrete actions to address them is what drives our relationship forward.
In that respect, I want to commend the Australia-Indonesia Centre for forging high-level, cross-border research collaboration.
This kind of collaboration is a model of the practical work that goes on between our two countries.
And it underscores why, in many fields, Indonesia and Australia are partners.
If you look across the range of our mutual interests, you’ll find Australians and Indonesians are doing practical things together.
For example, here at this Summit, you will contribute real and practical connections between research, policy-making and commercialisation.
Bringing together researchers, business leaders and government representatives, will deepen the discussion about how to respond to some of our shared challenges.
And today’s event adds serious weight to the initiatives already underway.
Just recently, the Australian Embassy held a successful innovative research seminar series sponsored which demonstrated the enduring tradition of scientific cooperation between Australia and Indonesia.
Over 10 days, eight Australian scientists and researchers presented seminars and engaged with Indonesian counterparts in Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Makassar and Malang on medical research, agricultural productivity and energy conservation research.
The seminars generated new connections and sparked new collaborations with students and institutions.
Today’s Research Summit represents the practical engagement that takes place between our countries day-in, day-out, year-after-year.
Even as Indonesia makes a political transition to a new era, I hope this summit will continue to be a significant event in the bilateral agenda.
Let me finally endorse the research topics under consideration at this summit.
Let me thank Professor Ainun Na'im from the Ministry of Education and the Australia-Indonesia Centre for arranging this event.
And on behalf of the Australian Government, pledge my support to further high-level, cross-border research collaborations.
Thank you.