VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

European Union Strengthens Collaboration with Indonesian Universities - EU Embassy 

The European Union (EU), in collaboration with the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of the University of Indonesia (FISIP UI), held a public lecture today (26/2). Titled “The EU Strategy in Coping with Multidimensional Impacts and Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic”, the public lecture was delivered by the EU Ambassador to Indonesia, H.E. Mr Vincent Piket. 

The virtual talk gathered lecturers and hundreds of students, and was attended by University of Indonesia Rector Prof. Ari Kuncoro, S.E., M.A., Ph.D, as well as the Dean of FISIP UI Dr Arie Setiabudi Soesilo, M.Sc.

"Ensuring quality education and investing in youth have been strong factors which connect Indonesia and the EU. For decades, the EU has supported Indonesian scholars, students –men but especially women – and universities through scholarships and university partnerships under the Erasmus plus programme,” said EU Ambassador to Indonesia Vincent Piket. “The exchanges and cooperation add quality to education and research, and they promote mutual understanding between our peoples,” Ambassador Piket added.

The EU also emphasises cooperation in research.

“Research and innovation are increasingly global, for the simple reason that they must offer solutions to global challenges without national borders, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU has supported research partnerships between EU and countries around the globe, including with researchers in ASEAN. So far, the EU has invested EUR 780 million into research and innovation programmes targeting the pandemic,” said Ambassador Piket.

The EU is also a strong supporter of the COVAX Facility, the global initiative that engages 90% of the world’s population and aims to ensure fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all.

“Through Team Europe, the EU and its Member States are providing 40% of the funding of the COVAX Facility with EUR 2.2 billion. This funding will bring us closer to achieving COVAX’s target to deliver 2 billion doses of vaccines to 92 low- and middle-income countries by the end of 2021, including Indonesia. In the first batch of the vaccines, which will be distributed by the COVAX Facility in Q1 and Q2 of 2021, Indonesia is expected to receive more than 13 million vaccines from COVAX,” added Ambassador Piket.

This public lecture is part of the EU Ambassadorial Talk series, aimed to address topical issues and increase understanding of EU views, policies and priorities. The series of lectures will continue throughout the year, involving various universities across Indonesia//Realese/NK-VOI