UI alumnus and Chairman of the Board of Professors of the Universitas Indonesia ‘s Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB UI) Prof. Bambang P. S. Brodjonegoro, S.E., M.U.P., Ph.D., won another international award “Madhuri and Jagdish N. Sheth International Alumni Award for Exceptional Achievement 2022” from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), USA, on Wednesday (19/10). This award recognizes UIUC alumni who have made a professional achievement in helping their country and the world by contributing to government, humanity, science, and human welfare. This award for international alumni with outstanding achievements has been around since 2000.
“After serving as a minister, I now turn to the private sector while still working as a professor at FEB UI. I am honored with this award, when I spent 6 years at UIUC for my Masters and Ph.D. I felt it was the best time of my life, not only to achieve the highest degree in academia, but more importantly to learn more about being a fighter,” said Prof. Bambang.
“At UIUC, I learned that every time you have a career, you have to give your best. In addition, I studied education and business styles in the United States. Then, adopting (internalised) it in me,” said Prof. Bambang.
He served as Minister of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia (2014-2016), with expertise in economics and urban planning. During his leadership at the Ministry of Finance, Prof. Bambang successfully implemented several important programs in line with his passion for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Not only that, his name is also remembered for initiating a number of important policies, such as thetax amnesty program that successfully reformed the world of taxation.
After that, Prof. Bambang was appointed as Minister of National Development Planning (2016-2019) with the main responsibility of designing short, medium, and long term national development master plans. He and his team coordinated with other ministries to implement the program. At the end of his tenure, he planned and designed the concept of a new capital city for Indonesia.
Prof. Bambang was entrusted to serve as Minister of Research and Technology/Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency from 2019 to 2021. During his tenure, he created the concept of Innovation-driven Economy, where the Indonesian economy should be driven by constant research, development and innovation. It aims to release Indonesia from themiddle-income trap and advance the economy through innovation.
He initiated coordination between the government, public enterprises, private enterprises, as well as the academic community to generate joint innovation-based solutions and enhance triple helix research and development coordination. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he was among the first in Indonesia to respond by stepping up research programs to provide solutions to the situation that shook the world, one of which was the development of the Merah Putih vaccine.
Prof. Bambang said he was very fortunate to receive the opportunity to be in three Indonesian Ministries. “I had to divert my mind to understand public finance, development planning, and research. However, I am very happy to be able to contribute to the country of Indonesia,” Prof. Bambang said.
In addition to his contribution to the country, he also played a role in the academic field, especially at FEB UI. Prof. Bambang has received mandates as a Lecturer in the Undergraduate and Masters Programs, Deputy Director of Regional Economic and Infrastructure Research at the Institute for Economic and Community Research (LPEM) FEB UI, Director of the Graduate Program in Economics, Chair of the Department of Economics, and Dean of FEB UI. When he became Dean, he created a legacy for FEB UI by initiating a double degree program for undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Furthermore, Prof. Bambang also plays a role in bridging Universitas Indonesia with leading universities from various countries, such as Melbourne University in Australia, Grenoble University in France, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands, International University of Japan, and others.
