Jakarta, 26 April 2018 (Thursday) – Singapore Management University (SMU), a premier university in Asia internationally recognised for its world-class research and distinguished teaching, has launched its International Advisory Council in Indonesia today to establish, strengthen and deepen SMU’s collaboration and engagement with the government, academic and business communities in Indonesia.

The SMU International Advisory Council seeks to collaborate with and involve friends of SMU and its alumni to reach out to corporates and grow the friends of the SMU community in overseas countries. The Council will provide platforms for active engagements between SMU’s overseas alumni, international students, and the local business community and academia.

In conjunction with the launch, SMU organised the SMU Industry Leaders Dialogue to discuss how Indonesia’s conglomerates can withstand the pressures of disruptive challenges and face up to competitors which are new to the local landscape but can adapt to the demands of a fast-changing economy.

About 150 business, government and academic leaders from Indonesia, SMU senior management and SMU alumni in Indonesia, joined the event which was held at Shangri-la Jakarta. Among the dignitaries present were Guest-of-Honour H.E. Anil Kumar Nayar, Ambassador of Singapore to Indonesia who gave the Welcome Address, and SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer who delivered the Introductory Address.

SMU’s International Advisory Council in Indonesia

Professor De Meyer said, “SMU is stepping up our engagement with countries in the region through a series of initiatives, and we are keen to foster closer ties with Indonesia. As the largest economy and most populous nation in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is an important partner to Singapore. SMU hopes to contribute to the close collaboration in business, government and civic society between both countries by providing more opportunities for exchange and internships, strengthen our collaboration with partner Indonesian universities in research and postgraduate education, and foster more industry tie-ups with the private sector.

“To guide and aid us in our effort, the SMU International Advisory Council comprising prominent and esteemed business leaders from Indonesia and Singapore has been established to support SMU’s overall efforts to build its international reputation as a premier university in Asia. We look forward to having their advice and guidance on how SMU can be relevant to them and play our part for the region.

“The launch of the SMU International Advisory Council in Indonesia comes on the heels of our successful efforts in Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam last year, as well as in China and Thailand earlier this year. We plan to roll out similar initiatives to other countries in the region where we have a sizable alumni base and established relationships with local academia, businesses and governments.”

The SMU International Advisory Council in Indonesia, chaired by Dato’ Sri Prof. Dr. (H.C.) Tahir, MBA, the Founder and Chairman of Mayapada Group, comprises the following members:

1. Mr Haryanto Adikoesoemo, President Director, PT AKR Corporindo Tbk

2. Mr Hendro Santoso Gondokusumo, Founder, President Director & CEO, PT Intiland Development Tbk

3. Mr Theodore Permadi Rachmat, Founder & President Director, Triputra Group

4. Mr Peter Sondakh, Founder, Rajawali Corporation

5. Mr Gita Wirjawan, Founder & Chairman, Ancora Group

6. Mr Gulshan Harjani*, Founder & CEO, Communicating World (BBM, Class of 2005 and President of SMU Alumni Chapter in Indonesia)

7. Ms. Lim Kexin*, Tax Director, PwC Singapore (BAcc, Class of 2005 and Chairperson of the School of Accountancy Alumni Advisory Board)

*denotes SMU alumni

The members of the SMU International Advisory Council (Indonesia), in their roles as ambassadors of the university, will lend support to SMU’s activities in Indonesia. These activities will include dialogues and panel discussions to raise awareness of SMU’s thought leadership and our areas of excellence, as well as alumni showcase/gatherings and networking sessions. The members may be invited to be panelists, or nominate and help to invite suitable persons to participate in such dialogues and discussions or networking sessions.

SMU Industry Leaders Dialogue

The SMU Industry Leaders Dialogue started with an exclusive conversation with Dato’ Sri Prof. Dr. (H.C.) Tahir, MBA, the Founder and Chairman of Mayapada Group, moderated by Professor Tan Chin Tiong, Senior Advisor in the Office of President, SMU.

This was followed by a keynote address by Prof. Dr. Pratikno, M. Soc.Sc., Minister of State Secretary, Indonesia.

Professor Annie Koh, Vice President, Office of Business Development; Academic Director, Business Families Institute and International Trading Institute@SMU; and Practice Professor of Finance at SMU, then moderated a panel discussion on “The Indonesian Firm of the Future”. The panel members were Mr. Ir. Airlangga Hartarto, MBA, MMT, Minister of Industry, Indonesia; Mr Gita Irawan Wirjawan, Founder of Ancora Group; Professor Jonathan Pincus, President / Executive Director of Rajawali Foundation; and Mr Lee Jin Sheng, Regional Director (Jakarta, Indonesia) of Enterprise Singapore.

In her opening remarks, Prof Koh said that the Indonesian firm of the future might be large companies co-existing and working hand in hand with more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to unlock Indonesia’s potential. The challenges ahead will be to give help to these innovative SMEs, to grow the vocational skills sector, and to work across ministries to build more inclusive growth. The panel members recognised that the Indonesian firm of the future needs to pay attention to connectivity, innovation and talent. They discussed about building virtual and physical connectivity, innovations that Singapore and Indonesia can collaborate on, as well as building the talent pipeline for Indonesian companies.

Professor Arnoud De Meyer added, “Indonesia is among the fastest growing internet markets in the world. Indicators such as internet traffic, revenue from cloud services, and connected devices are growing rapidly. The Indonesian government has developed the "2020 Go Digital Vision", which entails Indonesia emerging as the largest digital economy in ASEAN by 2020. The 14th economic reform package issued in 2016 included a comprehensive roadmap for promoting e-commerce. The government has also started targeted measures and programmes to promote Fintech and other technologies.

"However, digitalisation and disruptive technologies may also pose certain challenges at the individual, corporate and societal levels. Therefore, it is interesting to discuss how companies in Indonesia are facing up to these challenges, take on new and emerging competitors, and adapt to a fast-changing economy, so that they may emerge even stronger from the wave of disruption sweeping across the globe.

“This Industry Leaders Dialogue therefore presents a useful platform for SMU faculty, the Indonesian business community, as well as like-minded partners from Indonesia and Singapore to share their views and insights on innovation, digitalisation and transformation. The Dialogue is an integral part of SMU’s overall efforts to demonstrate our faculty members’ thought leadership.”

[Please refer to Annex A for SMU’s recent engagements with Indonesia.]

Caption: Launching SMU’s International Advisory Council in Indonesia on 26 April 2018 were (L to R) Mr Gulshan Harjani, Founder & CEO, Communicating World; Ms. Lim Kexin, Tax Director, PwC Singapore; Mr Hendro Santoso Gondokusumo, Founder, President Director & CEO, PT Intiland Development Tbk; Mr Peter Sondakh, Founder, Rajawali Corporation; Mr Gita Wirjawan, Founder & Chairman, Ancora Group; Mr Haryanto Adikoesoemo, President Director, PT AKR Corporindo Tbk; Mr Theodore Permadi Rachmat, Founder & President Director, Triputra Group; Dato’ Sri Prof. Dr. (H.C.) Tahir, MBA, the Founder and Chairman of Mayapada Group; SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer; H.E. Anil Kumar Nayar, Ambassador of Singapore to Indonesia; and Professor Tan Chin Tiong, Senior Advisor in the Office of President, SMU.

For more information, please contact

Mr Teo Chang Ching

Senior Assistant Director

Office of Corporate Communications and Marketing

Singapore Management University

DID: (65) 6828 0451

Email: ccteo [at] smu.edu.sg