President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) underscored the importance of universities relaxing the curriculum to make it more flexible and less rigid to produce competitive human resources.

"(Universities should) open up to new paradigms and ways that are more responsive, from mono to multi, and from mono to inter and also transdisciplinary," he remarked during the virtual launch of the Merdeka Belajar Episode 6 program themed “Transformation of Government Funds for Higher Education” here on Tuesday.

Additionally, universities should change the orientation of theory building to problem solving and impact making. Lecturers must also facilitate students to learn through any media and at any time.

"A good university is one that builds an ecosystem for free learning and makes use of widely open materials and media. The new normal standard must also be formulated from various policies," he noted.

To implement the new normal standard, a policy must be formulated on key performance indicators of lecturers and policies for higher education priority programs along with budget allocation, infrastructure, and various standard operating procedures (SOP).

"Likewise in the field of research and community services, various new normal standards must be formulated," Jokowi noted.

In the midst of developments in digitalization development, research and technology development should be given top priority. Various digital technology developments, such as big data analysis and artificial intelligence, can now be applied in various fields of life, he affirmed.

"Innovations by utilizing this must be pursued by universities in Indonesia for the welfare of society and progress of the nation," he remarked.

Furthermore, technological developments and innovations are expected to support the development of food and energy self-reliance as well as entrepreneurship development of MSMEs in various sectors.

"Higher education must be transformed to become more dynamic. Create breakthroughs, build a competitive climate to increase competitiveness, establish synergies, collaborate with BUMN (state-owned companies), and industry, digital-based talent pools, and other cooperation models to optimize capabilities and encourage better performance," the head of state remarked.

Universities must capitalize on the energy and courage to bring about changes to produce superior quality human resources, he noted. (ANTARA)

 

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) denounced French President Emmanuel Macron's statement that insults Islam.

"Indonesia strongly denounces the statement of the French President that has insulted Islam that has hurt the sentiments of Muslims around the world," President Jokowi stated at the Merdeka Palace here on Saturday.

President Jokowi conveyed the statement after meeting with religious leaders in Indonesia, including representatives from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, the Indonesian Church Trustees Conference (KWI), the Indonesian Church Association (PGI), Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI), the Indonesian Buddhist Association (Permabudhi), the Indonesian Confucian Religion Council (Matakin) and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and Minister of Religious Affairs Fachrul Razi.

"That can create divisions among followers of various religions at a time when the world needs unity to face the COVID-19 pandemic," Jokowi stated.

The head of state believes that freedom of expression that fails to uphold honor, sanctity, and the holiness of religious values and symbols can under no conditions be justified and should be stopped.

"Associating religion with acts of terrorism is a big mistake. Terrorism is terrorism. Terrorists are terrorists. Terrorism has no law with any religion," he noted.

Indonesia also strongly denounced the violence in Paris and Nice.

"Indonesia strongly condemns the violence that occurred in Paris and Nice that claimed lives," the president stated.

Earlier, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry denounced Macron's remarks on Islam and support for depiction and publication of cartoons on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which have sparked much ire in the Islamic World. To register its protest, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry summoned French Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, Olivier Chambard, on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, and sought an explanation for Macron's controversial statements.

Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah, told ANTARA here on Wednesday that Ambassador Chambard was summoned to apprise him of Indonesia's official stance on the anti-Islam remarks made by Macron recently in a speech.

The Indonesian government objected to President Macron's comments linking Islam to terrorism or extremism, affirming that associating any religion to acts of terror cannot be justified and would deeply offend adherents of the religions, Faizasyah stated.

Macron's remarks following the beheading of Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, for showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad during a class recently have sparked controversy and fueled a backlash from Muslims worldwide over the past few days.(ANTARA)

 

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) denounced French President Emmanuel Macron's statement that insults Islam.

"Indonesia strongly denounces the statement of the French President that has insulted Islam that has hurt the sentiments of Muslims around the world," President Jokowi stated at the Merdeka Palace here on Saturday.

President Jokowi conveyed the statement after meeting with religious leaders in Indonesia, including representatives from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, the Indonesian Church Trustees Conference (KWI), the Indonesian Church Association (PGI), Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI), the Indonesian Buddhist Association (Permabudhi), the Indonesian Confucian Religion Council (Matakin) and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and Minister of Religious Affairs Fachrul Razi.

"That can create divisions among followers of various religions at a time when the world needs unity to face the COVID-19 pandemic," Jokowi stated.

The head of state believes that freedom of expression that fails to uphold honor, sanctity, and the holiness of religious values and symbols can under no conditions be justified and should be stopped.

"Associating religion with acts of terrorism is a big mistake. Terrorism is terrorism. Terrorists are terrorists. Terrorism has no law with any religion," he noted.

Indonesia also strongly denounced the violence in Paris and Nice.

"Indonesia strongly condemns the violence that occurred in Paris and Nice that claimed lives," the president stated.

Earlier, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry denounced Macron's remarks on Islam and support for depiction and publication of cartoons on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which have sparked much ire in the Islamic World. To register its protest, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry summoned French Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, Olivier Chambard, on Tuesday, October 27, 2020, and sought an explanation for Macron's controversial statements.

Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah, told ANTARA here on Wednesday that Ambassador Chambard was summoned to apprise him of Indonesia's official stance on the anti-Islam remarks made by Macron recently in a speech.

The Indonesian government objected to President Macron's comments linking Islam to terrorism or extremism, affirming that associating any religion to acts of terror cannot be justified and would deeply offend adherents of the religions, Faizasyah stated.

Macron's remarks following the beheading of Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, for showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad during a class recently have sparked controversy and fueled a backlash from Muslims worldwide over the past few days.(ANTARA)

 

Former vice president Jusuf Kalla and Secretary General of Rabithah Alam Islami (Muslim World League) Mohammad Abdul Karim Al Issa witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement on the construction of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and Islamic Civilization History Museum.

The agreement document was signed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday by Chairman of the Prophet Muhammad SAW History Foundation retired commissioner general Syafruddin and Deputy Executive of the Muslim World League Abdul Rahman bin Muhammad Al Mathar.

Kalla, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and Islamic Civilization History Foundation, in a statement on Sunday, expressed his joy that the plan to build the Prophet Muhammad SAW and Islamic Civilization History Museum in Indonesia would soon be realized.

"Muslims in Indonesia are looking forward to a museum that will present the history of the Prophet Muhammad to increase his love for the Prophet and his faith in Allah SWT," he remarked.

Jusuf Kalla also said that the museum would also feature specifically the history of traders from the Arabian peninsula introducing Islam in Indonesia.

In addition, the museum will also display the history of the arrivals of Islamic scholars from Arabia to Indonesia in order to teach Islam at that time, so that 90 percent of Indonesia's population became Muslims.

The museum will become a new icon for Jakarta and attract Muslim tourists from neighboring countries, according to Kalla.

Syafruddin, who is also the Chairman of the Committee for the Construction of the Prophet Muhammad SAW and Islamic Civilization History Museum, said that the signing of the cooperation agreement was a great momentum for the Indonesian people, especially Muslims in Indonesia and the neighboring countries.

The museum is the first one of its kind to be built outside Saudi Arabia. So far, the Museum of the History of the Prophet Muhammad and Islamic Civilization exist in Makkah, and Medina.

The museum to be built in North Jakarta, will display all life, exemplary, family, the role of peace, and civilization built by the Prophet Muhammad with 3D technology, holograms, and augmented reality. Hence, the museum will become a place of research for students, lecturers, and researchers to study the life of the Prophet Muhammad.

Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan followed the signing of the agreement via a tele-conference facility. (ANTARA)

 

Former Indonesian vice president Muhammad Jusuf Kalla, who is on the panel of judges for the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, met Pope Francis at the Vatican on Friday to discuss humanity and world peace.

“The Pope told me the meaning of human fraternity — the togetherness of people as well as their companionship, as it is crucial for today when the world is facing many crises,” Kalla, who has served as the 10th and 12th Indonesian vice president, said in a statement received in Jakarta.

“The Pope also delivered a message on the importance of us maintaining harmony with other people in this world since there would be no peace without such good human interaction,” he added.

During the interaction, Pope Francis urged all the judges to objectively assess nominees, and he "elaborated some measures for this matter, underlining this event's aim for humanity purposes”, Kalla said.

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity is named after the first president of the United Arab Emirates and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. It is presented to individuals and entities for breakthrough work in human development.

During an internal meeting with the judges, Kalla suggested crowning the inventors of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments as awardees, as they are being counted as heroes during this pandemic on account of their efforts to save people's lives.

Since it was instituted in 2019, the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity will be presented for the first time in 2021, with nominees ranging from government officials, United Nations representatives, representatives of international non-government organizations, as well as supreme court justices, and academicians.

The deadline for nominee submissions is December 1, 2020, while the award is scheduled to be announced on February 4, 2021. The award carries a cash prize of US$1 million.

Besides Kalla, other judges for the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity include the ex-president of the Central African Republic, Catherine Samba-Panza; the 27th Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean; Cardinal Dominique Mamberti; and former special adviser to the United Nations on genocide prevention, Adama Dieng.（ANTARA）

 

President Joko Widodo and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga agreed to form an essential business travel corridor between Indonesia and Japan during their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java, on Tuesday.

“We have also agreed to assign our respective foreign ministers to negotiate detailed points of the travel corridor arrangement, and reach the approved draft in one month,” President Jokowi said.

Prior to the agreement on the travel corridor arrangement with Japan, Indonesia has entered into similar deals with China, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, and Singapore.

At the bilateral meeting, the two leaders discussed their collective endeavors to keep strengthening their strategic economic partnership.

President Jokowi said PM Suga's visit reflects Indonesia and Japan's commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership, and the importance of the Southeast Asian region amid the current global situation, which is marked by uncertainty.

Despite the global situation, both Indonesia and Japan have opted to collaborate and support each other, he remarked.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Suga said he was extremely happy to have been able to visit Indonesia in his first official overseas trip since his election as Japan's prime minister on September 16, 2020.

He said Japan is committed to working closely with Indonesia for the sake of peace and prosperity in the Southeast Asian region based on the two countries' strategic partnership, which has been strengthened by his visit.

Prime Minister Suga's visit to Indonesia in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic is the first visit by a world leader to the country.

After his election following Shinzo Abe's surprise resignation, Suga's first overseas visit has been to Vietnam and Indonesia.

Before arriving in Indonesia, Prime Minister Suga visited Hanoi, the capital city of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, on October 18, 2020.

According to the Japanese prime minister's official website, he attended a welcoming ceremony on October 19, 2020 (local time), and followed it up with a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Afterwards, the leaders held an exchange of documents ceremony and a joint press announcement in relation to grant assistance. During his visit, Prime Minister Suga also met with Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.

He also enjoyed a stroll with Prime Minister Phuc at the late President Ho Chi Minh's Stilt House. In the afternoon, he gave a policy speech at the Vietnam-Japan University and engaged in a frank and candid discussion with students.

Suga offered flowers at the Martyrs' Monument and the President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum before meeting with several top figures, including Mdm. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, chairwoman of the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.

Later, the Japanese premier held a press conference on the Japan-Vietnam summit and other events. 

 

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, invited German entrepreneurs to increase their investment in Indonesia, saying the Job Creation Law would strengthen ease of doing business.

“I invite the German business and industrial community to become our investment partners in supporting and developing Indonesia's economic transformation,” Hartarto said at the online Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK) in Jakarta on Monday.

According to the minister, the new law will encourage job creation and economic growth and its enactment is aimed at simplifying, synchronizing, and streamlining regulations that often hinder foreign business activities in Indonesia.

He said he believes that now is the right time for the two countries to take advantage of the momentum created by the passing of the law.

“By investing in Indonesia, you are not only exploiting our potential, but also benefiting from our strategic location in the heart of the growing markets in East and Southeast Asia,” he remarked.

He said he hopes that in the future, a stronger bilateral economic relationship can be established between Germany and Indonesia, starting with exploring the available opportunities.

“Once again, I invite German businessmen to take part in building a mutually beneficial long-term partnership for the mutual prosperity of our two countries,” the minister said.

In spite of the pandemic, he continued, Indonesia and Germany chalked up US$3.6 billion in trade in January-August, 2020, or negative 8.3 percent compared to the same period last year.

German investors pumped more than US$1 billion into Indonesia in the 2015-2020 period, he added. Around 250 German companies operated in the country during the period.

APK is an annual meeting for German companies and industry players operating in the Asia Pacific Region.

The meeting organized by the Asia Pacific Committee of German Business (APA) is the first meeting to use a digital platform.

The forum was also attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, high-ranking government officials from Germany, Australia, Japan, and the European Union Commission, as well as German business leaders operating in the Asia Pacific Region. (ANTARANEWS)