(From left) Tafwid Mulia, assistant deputy director for policy analysis on socio-cultural and non-governmental affairs; Herry Laksono Maryadi, deputy director for multilateral economic and development affairs, both with Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Air Commodore Joko Takarianto, defense attaché, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Washington, D.C.; Dindin Wahyudin, director/head of Center for Policy Analysis and Development on Multilateral Affairs in Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ambassador Dr. Lutfi Rauf, deputy coordinating minister for foreign policy affairs, Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs of Indonesia; UOG President Thomas W. Krise; Rear Adm. Bambang Supriyadi, deputy director general for defence territory, Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence; Executive Director Dr. Austin Shelton III; Jaqueline A. Marati, senior vice president/chief communications officer with Bank of Guam; UOG Senior Vice President Dr. Anita Enriquez; Dr. Rachel Leon Guerrero, interim director of UOG’s Office of Research and Sponsored Programs; and Carlos Taitano, executive director of UOG’s Professional and International Programs. Photo courtesy of the University of Guam

 

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability continues to build global partnerships with universities and governing bodies. On Dec. 17, a delegation from Indonesia visited UOG to exchange lessons on sustainable island development.

Dr. Austin Shelton, the executive director of the UOG Center for Island Sustainability, facilitated discussions with the delegation and UOG representatives.

“Our visitors came to learn lessons on sustainability as they develop new eco-tourism initiatives on their underdeveloped islands,” Shelton said. “As Guam is a mostly developed island, we had productive discussions on how we can both achieve sustainability starting on opposite ends of the development spectrum.”

The delegation stated that possible outcomes of the visit will include sending bamboo furniture and handicraft makers to deliver workshops in Guam to spark a new sustainable industry as well as sending participants to join in the 10th UOG Regional Conference on Island Sustainability from April 8–12.

The Indonesian delegation was led by Ambassador Dr. Lutfi Rauf, the deputy coordinating minister for foreign policy affairs. He was joined by Indonesian Rear Adm. Bambang Supriyadi and deputy directors for policy analysis on socio-cultural and non-government affairs and multilateral economic and development affairs.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs actively facilitates the Small Island Development Initiative. This initiative aims to establish sustainable development programs for island communities through capacity-building programs and collaborative research among local and international academic institutions.

For more information about the UOG Center for Island Sustainability, visit www.uog.edu/cis