August 7, 2020, by Emma Thorne

University collaborates with Indonesian Embassy to co-host COVID-19 performance assessment

The global challenge of COVID-19 has brought a need for emergency strategies and strategy review to the forefront of action by governments and institutions across the globe.

The University of Nottingham and the Indonesian Embassy in London has built on its academic/policy-making collaboration to form an alliance in the battle against COVID-19, allowing researchers, academics and students from both the UK and Indonesia to share ideas on how best to fight the coronavirus crisis.

Since building these ideas and creating extra sources of input to help the Indonesian government formulate and implement their COVID-19 strategy, the University has once again led the way with the Indonesian Embassy to ensure that the auditing of the Indonesian government’s performance in implementing their strategy has reached both national and international audiences.

Dr Bagus Muljadi, Director of the University’s Indonesian Doctoral Training Partnership and Education Counsellor Hartyo Harkomoyo from the Indonesian Embassy recently co-hosted the Indonesian Audit Board’s (BPK) review of the Indonesian Government’s implementation of their COVID-19 strategy. The Indonesian Audit Board (BPK) is a high-level state body that enforces good quality governance and manages the provision and accountability of state finances and has overseen the Indonesian government’s management of the COVID-19 crisis, including reallocation of finance and resources.

Comprehensive audit at a time of crisis

The webinar on 17 July, ‘Assessing the Performance of the Indonesian Government in handling COVID-19’, was attended by more than 500 UK and Indonesian participants and aimed to provide the public with updates on areas where BPK want the audit strategy to be developed.

Mr Adam Mulawarman Tugio, Deputy Head of the Republic of Indonesia’s Representative Office for the UK, outlined the various efforts of Indonesia towards tackling COVID-19, including the development of a vaccine by the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology and the improved capacity in internal production of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Achsanul Qosasi, Member III of the State Audit Board (BPK)/Head of State Financial Audit III, gave a keynote speech on BPK’s government policy against COVID-19 including government programmes, schemes, implementation, mitigation and risk control, explaining the need for a comprehensive audit scheme in a time of crisis.

Mr Qosasi said: “The Supreme Audit Board of Indonesia greatly valued collaborating with the University of Nottingham and support the continuation of this relationship, with the hope that it continues to make such positive impacts. The event was a platform for open discussion between academics, students, researchers and Government officials, to help consolidate the action that the Supreme Audit Board has taken in supporting and monitoring the Indonesian Government’s handling of COVID-19.

“This international collaborative event was very beneficial to increase the awareness of the national and international populous as to what actions are and will be taken by the Supreme Audit Board and, given the positive impact the University has had by broadening our direct audience on an international platform, we openly support the continuation of this beneficial bilateral relationship between the UK and Indonesia.”

Tackling society’s greatest challenges

Counsellor Pensosbud said: “The Embassy is very pleased to collaborate with the University of Nottingham, to convene this webinar. It served as an academic platform for students and researchers from Indonesia and the UK to exchange views on one of today’s most important topics. The Embassy believes this platform will boost not only cooperation in the field of education, but also people-to-people contacts.”

Director of the IDTP and fellow co-host Dr Bagus Muljadi, said: “We are honoured to be involved in such collaborative events and are ever enthusiastic to continue to strengthen our relationship and collaboratively produce such positive impacts. Via IDTP, Nottingham has yet again cemented that it is a truly global university, actively engaging global governments and societies in addressing today’s greatest challenges. Through this event, not only are Indonesian students and academics in the UK involved in their national governance through voicing their opinion on the auditing of the Indonesian Government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, but collaborating with the University has given such an important event an international platform allowing a broader audience to participate.”

Jason Feehily, Director of Knowledge Exchange Asia, added:  “I was delighted to participate in such an important collaborative event. It was moving to hear how the global challenge of COVID-19 is being faced. The University of Nottingham and Indonesia have been working together extensively and it is through international partnerships that we will find ways to get through this crisis.”

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