Indonesian Ambassador Visits LUMS to Discuss Avenues of Collaboration
Share
His Excellency, Mr. Adam Mulawarman Tugio, the new Indonesian Ambassador to Pakistan, sat down with LUMS Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad on January 18, to discuss the future of global economies and how the two countries can learn from each other’s experiences.
Also present were Dean, Dr. Sabieh Anwar; Dr. Furrukh A. Khan, Associate Professor; Ms. Nuzhat Kamran, Director, Office of Advancement, and Ms. Anoosh Khan, President, LUMS Student Council.
Ambassador Adam Tugio has held a number of important diplomatic positions in different countries. His previous assignments include Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Republic of Indonesia in London, United Kingdom; Director of North American Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2016-17; Head of Bureau of General Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2014-16; Minister Counsellor, Coordinator of Public Affairs Embassy of Indonesia in Washington DC, and Diplomat Directorate of International Treaties, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He spoke about the similarities between Indonesia and Pakistan within the realm of history, culture, religion, cuisine, as well as education. He shared that this is why there is a lot of scope of collaboration and contribution to bilateral relations between the two countries. He said, “Last year, Pakistani students were the largest recipients of scholarships in Indonesia. There is a lot of engagement within the Indonesian society with Pakistan and it feels familiar to them.”
Speaking about the importance of the east, Ambassador Adam Tugio noted, “Experts believe that the future of global economies lies in the East. However, there is more talk and less implementation.” He suggested that think tanks in Pakistan should dedicatedly focus on the economies of East Asia, “We must look to the East. There should be a focus on the key to the successes of these countries, and sharing of best practices; only then can we learn from each other’s experiences.”
Dr. Ahmad shared an overview of the National Outreach Programme (NOP) at LUMS, and how it is providing a transformative experience to scholars. “These students are helping us. They come with strong cultural ties, ethics and an attitude that greatly informs the study body at LUMS. They are a fusion of diversity.”
He also highlighted how partnerships at LUMS are rethinking the traditional model of collaboration. In particular, Dr. Ahmad mentioned the ten-member faculty delegation, led by Vice Chancellor, University of Baltistan (UoB), Dr. Naeem Khan, that came to LUMS in December to help co-create courses and instructional strategies for co-teaching. A similar model can be replicated with Indonesian universities too, he added.
