I'll Tag It!!

It’s striking me to know the news that you already leave forever from a friend. We did very few communications and, in fact we really never meet in person. One thing for sure though, we share the same interest in information system governance domain. But this unbelievably way of interaction does not hinder me to get a nice impression of how spiritful you are. Since then I claim myself as part of those who keep an eye to your website.  You even pave the road and the opportunity for community learning. You open all resources which are somewhat others might have kept in a securely locked top secret folder. This is what exactly I’m doing right now, broadcasting your knowledge to the whole universe. Trust me, I’m learning to follow your move.

Now the Almighty has decided to take you there. I don’t have any information of the cause of your leaving, but anyhow, I would say you are probably better there. God loves you more, and definitely, sending you there is much much best place to go. Please need not worry buddy, because you have stocked your own remembrance with a handful of fruitful, knowledge, which is long lasting and will not fad away or be corroded in any other way.

My thoughts and my heart sincerely are with you and your family. I cherish all the good things you have delivered to the world. Good bye Muki.

Hilarious but possible.
That’s what I see when our data are all there, everywhere, not always on the cloud. Not only a heavenly new order for big bucks commercials, but what we are all doing is simply detected by the Big Boss. You want that? I won’t. This comical clip is reflecting my point. Enjoy!

Much of the disparity between people who decide to stay abroad after their study done and those who choose to go back to their heimatland falls into reality and nationalism polarization. The former choose for building up their academics (or maybe commercial) career, be it in their former university or another institutions, see more on much more “realistic” sense, while the latter stand on the ground of nationalism. In one hand, “Well, what can I say, I do not know what I would become if I choose staying in Indonesia. I got no lab facilities, at least equivalent with my time when I studied. The government just don’t care with us scientist. The keep scientific budget low. We just have to live the fact and protect my family future.and so on so forth”. In the other extreme, ” Better or worse is my country. I shall return no matter how hard it is. Those who think of staying away from what happened in our country simply people with no more nationalism in their heart. And there you go, the debate becomes an endless discussion as both sides defends their own reason.

Is it true that nationalism is a function of where you live? Putting to other words, so these people who choose to make an academic career abroad are not nationalists and do not care with Indonesia. Using a lens form a more holistic stand perhaps gives us better view. To some degree, we must admit that for some, or most researchers, especially who deal with lab and much more sophisticated tools, they can not really rely on government spendings. I learn that, managing education for 250 billion people is not a trivial task, not to count the challenge of corruption and government’ unreliable fund management. The latest 2010 audit report published was granted disclaimer opinion by State Auditor (BPK) revealed that the ministry of education is having plenty of housework to get done (the opinion is even worse from 2009’s qualified opinion. Beside that, we still have problem for unresolved high unemployment rate.

These scientists perhaps have been trying to find some ways to self fund themselves. However, after all, their nature is not a fund seeker, which means that the building of scientific work is not only placed upon their shoulder, but also to other part who bears responsibility for the ability to maintain conducive and secure working atmosphere. Go back to the question..are these people anti nationalists? We have two kind of people (1) Those who have this potentials and have no time to wait for government until they can finally do their job as expected, and (2) Those who are simply smart people but also jerks and they internally gnaw and hold back the progress of the nation. People in category 1 do not have time to think of pointing their finger on everybody to blame for the condition. They just need place to work seriously and give extraordinary output. And those is category 2, I guess no one benefits from them.

I believe the answer should be looked from the perspective what they actually and potentially do for Indonesia, not from where they work, the locus. From an actual viewpoint, at least, here, I am blessed to get a chance to know some Indonesians who happened to be star in their own field. They work in a quite diverse areas ranging from solar technology, mechanical engineering, computer science, biotechnology. One of them is even the only Asian working in Germanny’s Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung). From a potential viewpoint, Indonesian education and technology development may gain positive impact through a greater research and development network worldwide. Researchers working in overseas institution may create a mutual beneficial link between them and future studendts from Indonesia. Once they step up and trusted as decision maker, like professorship, they can recruit more Indonesian students to be their students or their peer’s students. We can imagine how strong and the merits of such a network chain if we mirror China and India. Their local students are scattered all over the world recruited by their national counterparts who work as faculty member in a highly recognized universities and research institutions.

So, this two perspective, actual and potential contribution can not be simply neglected. True, they are not working in Indonesia geographically, but what they do is obviously big. With a little bit seasoning of better G-to-G and U-to-U management, we will grow more seeds for Indonesia new order. As our Minister of Education once spoke, nationalism is not a function of locus…. valued global and valued local.

The newly appointed Pertamina CEO Karen Agustiawan raised different comments over her next steps for rescuing this state-owned oil company. To me, the assignment probes me to nominate Indonesia women who are inspiring in business and leadership within the last ten years.

The list is obviously subjective, based on my own feeling :). They may be public figure. Furthermore, the ordering doesn’t indicate superiority. So feel free to think about other figures or add it on your own list:

1. Sri Mulyani
Starting her career as lecturer at Faculty of Economics, University of Indonesia, Dr.Mulyani now bears responsibility to drive Indonesia future economic to be better and more stable as a Minister of Finance. She earned her doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After the so-called monetary crisis in Indonesia (1997- now?), her name started to emerge in many economics discussion in many media. Some of her profesionall recognition I guess are 2006 best Asia Finance Miniter by Emerging Market, the 2nd Indonesia most influencing woman on Globe Asia version, and the 23rd the world most influencing woman Forbes version in 2008. I still recall several occasions where I saw her in the TV arguing and debating her opponents, which sometimes led to a furious debate. One thing I can’t accept is when she took a role in International Monetary Fund. To me, it’s like working for someone who has a hidden and adverse agenda to you.

2. Betti Alisjahbana
In Indonesia, Alisjahbana clan brings their own reputation for being a talented people with a very impressive track record of academic. Alisjahbana is a family name, taken from a everlasting reputable Indonesian author, Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana. Though not a direct I may say that the importance of education runs in the family. Born in Bandung, 2 August 1960, Ms.Alisjahbana was raised with many kind of academical activities. She graduated from a nationally reputable Bandung Institute of Technology with major in Architecture. Her highest achievement in career is to role as an CEO of IBM Indonesia, quite amazing for an architecture.

3. Eva Rianti Hutapea
Mrs.Hutapea was a CEO of Indofood, one of the Indonesia’s largest instant noodle producer. From tokoh indonesia , she mentioned three success factor: opportunity, capability and luck.She is regarded as the woman behind the rescue of Indofood due to the huge loss of Rp. 1,2 trilion in 1997. Its biggest revenue source, instant noodle sales plummeted to 7.8 billion packages. Her success in rescuing Indofood made her being awarded as Indonesia Best CEO on Swa Magazine version. Additionally,

4. Rini Suwandi
I know little about her, but I started to recognize her when she was as A Minister of Industrial and Trade when Megawati acted as President of Indonesia. Sometime before being a minister, she was named as a CEO of Astra International, a holding for a number of leading Indonesia’s companies. Most of her time was spent abroad, yet, it doesn’t make her forgeting her root as Indonesia.

5. Karen Agustiawan
Obviously, her update is the most sought-after news recently. She challenges male domination of oil and gas industry by chairing the first person at Pertamina, state-owned oil corporation. Before appointed as president director of Pertamnina, she was also first woman to head the state company’s upstream division, responsible for the management of the company’s drilling rigs, a job which was once seen as too macho for a woman. Graduated from Bandung Institute of Technology, major at physical engineering, she has also been roaming about oil and gas industry from Mobil Oil, CGG Petrosystem, Halliburton, before eventually joined Pertamina.

7. Widyawati
A very famous artist and still enchantedly charming to me. Her husband, Sophan Sopiaan, is also a famous actor from early 70s. They made Indonesia fell in love and made them Indonesia sweetheart from the first time they show up in movie industry until now. Her husband passed away when a street accident took his life during his travel with bikers club to promote nationalism.

8. Mari Elka Pangestu
Ministry of Trade.

9. Miranda Gultom
Deputy Governor of Indonesia Central Bank.

Number n….. Mrs.Taufik Kiemas’s wife???
Well….this one? no comments 🙂