Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) received a visit from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Friday (17/6). UGM is the only university included in this series of visits to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Indonesia’s diplomatic ties with Germany.
On his UGM trip, President Steinmeier attended a research product exhibition and discussion entitled Food Security, Global Challenges, and Dependencies with several experts and panelists.
“I am not an expert, but I am very interested in this issue. I travel a lot, and in the countries I visit, I see how we are dealing with food crises,” he said.
Germany is one of the most important donors to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). However, according to him, it is not an achievement. It is the support the international community deserves. The German government cares and is ready to help world countries facing the food crisis.
“We have to analyze what the root of the problem is. And we want to know what kind of support is expected from us,” said the President.
Prof. Damayanti Buchori (Lead Co-Chair T20 Task Force 4 Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture), Felippa Amanta (Head of Research, Center for Indonesian Policy Studies), Christa Räder (WFP representative), Dr. Yose Rizal Damuri (Executive Director of CSIS and Executive Co-Chair T20), Dr. Linda Yanti Sulistiawati (UGM’s international law expert), and Maria Angela Putri (UGM student) were among the names present as panelists.
“Since before, we have faced problems related to global food, but these have been exacerbated by Russian aggression in Ukraine and climate issues,” said Minister of State for Europe and Climate and moderator of the discussion, Dr. Anna Lührmann.
In her remarks, UGM Rector Prof. Ova Emilia highlighted the friendship between Germany and Indonesia. Germany has been a learning space for many Indonesian academics, including UGM lecturers.
“On behalf of Universitas Gadjah Mada, I warmly welcome President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. We feel very honored to receive a visit from the President,” said the Rector. “The third president of Indonesia, President Habibie, graduated from a German university, while UGM is the university where the current President of Indonesia, President Joko Widodo, studies. This commonality bolsters our ties.”
UGM has established intensive and longstanding collaborations with German educational institutions, such as RWTH Aachen and DAAD. She hopes to strengthen this by intensifying existing cooperation and developing more in other strategic fields.
Author: Gloria
Photo: Firsto