Universitas Indonesia (UI), as an inclusive, tolerant, superior, and independent university, continues to support the dissemination of strategic insights related to maritime security in the Indian Ocean, a vital region for global stability. Through the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), UI held a guest lecture titled “Maritime Security in The Indian Ocean Region: The Military and Naval Dimension” on Thursday, October 24, 2024, at the FISIP UI Communication Auditorium. This event presented the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Indonesia and ASEAN, Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage, as the main speaker.
Prof. Jayanath explained that the Indian Ocean region has a strategic position because it connects Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica and is an important route for global energy and trade shipments. Two-thirds of the world’s oil shipments pass through this region, making it a crucial point for the world economy. Prof. Jayanath highlighted various threats to maritime stability in this region, including piracy, maritime terrorism, great power competition, and military racing. In addition, geopolitical tensions between major powers such as the United States, China, Russia, and India are increasingly triggering escalation of conflicts in the region.
In this session, Prof. Jayanath also emphasized the importance of maintaining the maritime environment amidst issues of climate change and marine pollution. According to him, the Indian Ocean is facing great pressure from human activities, such as plastic waste disposal, pollution, and global warming which causes sea level rise. This degradation of the marine environment has a major impact because the ocean produces 50% of the oxygen we breathe, absorbs 40% of carbon dioxide, and absorbs around 90% of the sun’s heat. Disturbed ocean balance can have serious consequences for global climate stability.
Prof. Jayanath emphasized that maintaining maritime stability requires international cooperation that respects the sovereignty of countries in the region. Various initiatives, such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by China, the Indo-Pacific strategy by ASEAN, and the role of the Quad (United States, India, Australia, and Japan) are expected to be able to create sustainable cooperation in the Indian Ocean. However, he also emphasized that this collaboration must be carried out by respecting the interests of each country.
Dean of FISIP UI, Prof. Dr. Semiarto Aji Purwanto, stated that through this guest lecture, FISIP UI demonstrated its commitment to developing students’ insights regarding strategic global issues. This guest lecture is a forum for students to explore the challenges and opportunities in maritime cooperation and the importance of Indonesia’s role in creating a safe and stable region in the Indian Ocean.
In supporting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially goal 14 on marine ecosystems, UI strives to educate students about the importance of collaboration in maintaining the sustainability of the marine environment. UI’s commitment as an inclusive, tolerant, and independent university is realized by creating space for students from various backgrounds to understand and be involved in discussions on maritime security and sustainability. This is in line with UI’s values as a superior educational institution that not only focuses on academic quality, but also on developing an understanding of global issues that are relevant to the challenges of the modern era.
