Building Connections: A Networking Event for Regional Development in Indonesia

It was a pleasure to witness representatives from Gorontalo, North Kalimantan, Aceh, Eastern Indonesia (NTT, NTB, Maluku, and Tanah Papua), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Bappenas come together for a networking dinner in Gorontalo on 7 October 2024. This event, held as part of the Post-Course Workshop for the Australia Awards Short Course on ‘Governance and Public Policy Making for Subnational Governments (Eastern Indonesia),’ facilitated discussions on strategies to accelerate regional development in Indonesia.

This invaluable opportunity serves as a platform for interaction between short course participants and experts from the University of Queensland. They exchanged insights on policies and approaches to boost regional development, especially in Eastern Indonesia. The Head of the Domestic Policy Strategy Agency (BSKDN) at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Dr Yusharto Huntoyungo, M.Pd., had the opportunity to observe the award project presentations from the course participants and recognised the program as an essential approach to strengthening the capacity of local governments in fostering innovation.

The event also marked the conclusion of the Australia Awards Short Course, attended by 27 participants who had completed a two-week course in Australia, funded by SKALA and delivered by the University of Queensland.

The Australian Consul-General in Makassar, Mr Todd Dias, expressed his delight that Gorontalo had the honour of hosting this post-course workshop, highlighting the great potential of the province. Congratulations to all participants on successfully completing the course!