JAKARTA (KU) – Minister of Culture and Tourism of Indonesia, Jero Wacik, welcomed and fully supports the World Conference on Culture, Education, and Science-WISDOM 2010 to be held by Universitas Gadjah Mada from November 8 – 11, 2010. WISDOM 2010 is considered closely related to the national program, the World Culture Forum, planned to be held in year 2012 in Bali. The event is the idea of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to make it a partner of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. "The WISDOM 2010 is aimed as a stepping stone towards the implementation of the World Culture Forum 2012," Jero Wacik said in a meeting with UGM Rector, Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi, M. Eng,. Ph.D., in Jakarta, Monday (18/10).
The Minister said that the organization of international conference is also in line with Indonesia’s main advantages in the field of culture that has been recognized worldwide and should continue to be developed. The minister is certain that WISDOM 2010 can generate Indonesian confidence that their excellence of local wisdom gets international recognition.
Prof. Ir. Sudjarwadi. M. Eng., Ph.D., said that WISDOM 2010 aims to explore local wisdom in a world filled with human values to be associated with the role to become an inspiration to solving world problems today. "We all believe that local wisdom has enormous potential and power to inspire the synthesis of diverse characters of the world’s problems solution which finally gives benefits in order to improve the world’s quality of life," he said.
In connection with the final preparation for WISDOM 2010, Sudjarwadi said that all of Organizing Committee is ready in accordance with the planned work, including coordinating with supporting partners, both from the universities and other relevant institutions.
International Conference under big theme ‘Local Wisdom Inspiring Global Solutions’ will present Nobel laureate year 2006, and founder of Grameen Bank and a member of the Board of Directors of the United Nations, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, from Bangladesh. WISDOM 2010 also has a major agenda of Colloquium in Honor of Dr. Ann Dunham Soetoro & Prof. Dr. Mubyarto, which is a discussion in order to respect the results of works of both figures in the field of development of populist economy. The late Dr. Ann Dunham, mother of Barack Obama, President of the United States, and Prof. Dr. Mubyarto struggled for populist-based economy.
WISDOM 2010 will also discuss six major themes, including Managing Multiculturalism: Complexities and Contradictions, Education in a Global World: Continuity and Change, Managing the Environment: Learning from the Past, Reaching for the Future, Technology and Socio-Cultural Change, Heritage Tourism and the Creative Economy, Local Knowledge and Global Health.
The event at Universitas Gadjah Mada will be attended by 750 participants from 15 countries. They are such as: Prof. Dr. Sri Edi Swasono, Prof. Dr. Azyumardi Azra, Prof.Dr. Franz Magnis-Suseno, Prof. Dr. Arief Rachman, M.Pd., Dr. Ninok Laksono, Dr. Charles Saerang, Garin Nugroho, Dwiki Dharmawan, and Carmanita. Meanwhile, foreign academicians who plan to come are Prof. Michael Hitchcock, Ph.D. (UK), Prof. Dr. Datuk Mohd. Noh Dalimin (Malaysia), Prof. Duujian Tsai (Taiwan), Prof. Dr. Kwok Kian Woo (Singapore), Prof. Kaoru Takara (Japan), Prof. Bruce Mitchell, Ph.D., Prof. Uichol Kim, Ph.D. (South Korea), Dr. Jean Couteau (France), Prof. Paul Morris (New Zealand), Prof. Dr. Judith Schlehe (Germany), Dr. Nancy Cooper (USA), Sandra Niessen, Ph.D. (Canada), and Prof. Alice Dewey (USA).
The WISDOM 2010 is also fully supported by Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Forestry, and Ministry of Environment, and 30 leading universities in Indonesia.
Besides the event in Universitas Gadjah Mada campus, all participants from several countries will also be invited to know and enjoy some cultural and historical places in Yogyakarta such as Prambanan Temple, Ullen Sentalu Museum, Tembi Cultural House, Winotosastro Batik, and Affandi Museum.