Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UI collaborated with the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs holding an event “Foreign Policy Talk with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” and Watching the Annual Press Statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Monday (8/1 ), at the Mochtar Riady Auditorium, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UI. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited students to understand and observe the conditions and achievements of Indonesian Foreign Policy at the global level for the last 10 years.
The event “Advancing Free and Active Foreign Policy: A Ten Years Journey” was attended by students from different universities, such as UI, Indonesian Christian University, State Intelligence College, Warmadewa University, UPN Veteran Jakarta, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, and other professional and academic institutions. In the Annual Press of the Minister of Foreign Affairs 2024, the achievements of Indonesian diplomacy and foreign cooperation since 2014 were presented. Indonesian Foreign Policy has been consistently based on the principle of freedom and activity, national interests oriented, and continues to contribute to world peace.
According to the Director General of ASEAN Cooperation at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sidharto R. Suryodipuro, the achievement cannot be separated from students who act as agents of change in foreign policy. He said, “Students have great potential in fighting for foreign political issues. They have powerful voices and are agents of change in public diplomacy because they can influence public opinion regarding political policies and other important issues.”
Therefore, in the Foreign Policy Talk, students shed light on economic, social, political, and societal conditions, and diplomatic actions taken by Indonesia based on issues and challenges at the global level. This talk was delivered by several speakers from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UI, including Prof. Dr. Fredy B. L. Tobing (Professor in the Department of International Relations), Suraya Afif, Ph.D. (Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology), and Makmur Keliat, Ph.D. (Lecturer in the Department of International Relations).
Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UI, Prof. Dr. Semiarto Aji Purwanto, said that foreign policy is not just a matter of relations between countries, but there is a local context that needs to be taken into account. “This is to ensure that Indonesia’s foreign policy responds to domestic needs, of which people’s aspirations are inseparable,” said Prof. Aji.
The series of the Annual Press 2024, which is an action to disseminate information on Indonesian foreign policy to stakeholders and the public, was also held at 10 universities. Besides giving information, this activity shows the responsibility, transparency, and accountability of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the main duties that have been completed.
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UI and the Directorate General of ASEAN Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs also signed the agreement for the Independent Campus Learning Certified Internship Program. This program provides an opportunity for Faculty of Social and Political Sciences UI students to get experience-based learning through work activities within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This collaboration aims to implement the Merdeka Belajar curriculum through an internship program to improve the quality of learning for students, support learning outcomes, and develop the potential of students as Indonesian human resources.
