Indonesia, Netherlands Hold Scientific Meeting

JAKARTA, May 17 (Antara) - The Gadjah Mada University (UGM), in collaboration with the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI) and two Dutch scientific institutions held the Eighth Open Science Meeting (OSM) in Yogyakarta on May 15-17, 2017. According to a statement from UGM received by Antara here on Tuesday, the two Dutch institutions are the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). AIPI Chairman Sangkot Marzuki emphasized that cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands is one of the most effective collaborations in promoting academic excellence. "The history of cooperation between the two nations can serve as the basis for future cooperation," he stated at the OSM opening ceremony on Monday (May 15). The OSM is an annual meeting between Indonesia and the Netherlands, and representatives of businessmen, policy makers, lecturers, and researchers from both countries attend the event. Meanwhile, NWO's Executive Board member Wim van den Doel said Indonesia and the Netherlands have a long history of cooperation in the field of science and research development, one of which is the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the Bogor Botanical Gardens in 2017. In future, cooperation between the two countries will be more important, given the global challenges that both countries face, Doel noted. "Several problems we see today have a global character. There are many issues we face together, both in the Netherlands and in Indonesia, and we can solve the problems by working together. That is why we need to further increase cooperation between the Netherlands and Indonesia," he added. The OSM 2017 features several programs, including scientific presentations, key speeches, an innovation exhibition, public debates, workshops, poster presentations, and scientific policy-making sessions. Themed "Towards Resilient Society," this meeting is held to gather various inputs and take into account varied interests in creating and supporting a resilient community. According to UGM Rector Prof. Dwikorita Karnawati, the theme is truly in accordance with the spirit of the university in encouraging the creation of a strong and prosperous Indonesian society. "It is a matter of pride for UGM to be able to cooperate with very reputable institutions. This program is in accordance with the spirit of UGM that has been established as a university that prioritizes socio-entrepreneurship, so that all pillars of academic activities are conducted in order to realize socio-economic development in Indonesian society," the rector stated.