TIME.CO, Jakarta – High level conference (Summit) BRICS The 15th was just held from 22 to 24 August 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa. President Joko Widodo and his staff were present on the last day in the guise of Indonesia which currently holds the presidency of ASEAN.
It was also thought that Indonesia would become a new member in the group of developing countries made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Ahead of the summit, Indonesia’s participation in the BRICS was first represented by academics at the 2023 BRICS Postgraduate Forum.
This forum is a forum for discussion on research and academic collaboration between the BRICS countries and Indonesia is featured as a partner country. In the second year of this forum, Cape Peninsula University of Technology in Cape Town became the host after Brazil’s Universidade Estadual de Campinas last year. The South African Government’s Department of Higher Education and Training and the South African think tank BRICS are co-organisers.
For the first time, four Indonesian academics attended the BRICS Postgraduate Forum which this year was held from 16 to 18 August 2023. They were Gracia Paramitha from the School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) with her student Dhina Mutiara Kartikasari , Indra Kusumawardhana as a lecturer at Pertamina University and Iqbal Ramadhan as a PhD student at Padjadjaran University.
Gracia explained that in its second year, this forum was held in line with the global agenda of the South African BRICS presidency, that there was a desire to expand BRICS membership and influence, so that BRICS appeared Plus that involved other countries. With this forum, BRICS also engages non-BRICS countries to discuss and get involved academically.
“It’s kind of a model apply for card. So, to be invited and involved in the BRICS Postgraduate Forum, you need to write an abstract, a paper and then whole card. Only later will they make the selection until they are finally accepted,” he said TimeFriday 25 August 2023.
Together with her master’s student, Dhina, Gracia presented and co-authored an article on the challenges of South African and Indonesian SMEs in the digital age. Other Indonesian academics, Iqbal and Indra, have collaborated in drafting an article on sustainable tourism in the BRICS countries in the post-pandemic era.
“So it was really a coincidence that only two papers from Indonesia were selected and accepted. I was also invited as the first Indonesian guest scholar to the BRICS Postgraduate Forum,” he continued.
During the forum, Gracia, as a senior academic who already holds a PhD in climate policy, was asked to lead a session or presentation session on the topic of the climate emergency and its challenges for the BRICS countries.
Announcement
At the end of the event, prizes were awarded to the best documents and presentations, among others. Garcia was also included in the ranks of the jury which evaluated the works presented. “Only all winners are from BRICS countries. Because they definitely prioritize academics from BRICS countries who have been involved for a long time,” he explained.
Meaning for Indonesia
According to Gracia, the participation of Indonesian academics for the first time in the BRICS Postgraduate Forum is in itself an appreciation, because Indonesia is seen not only for the presidency of Jokowi in the G20 or ASEAN forums, but also among BRICS academics.
After meeting South African professors at the forum, he said they too would like to be involved in the events of the Asian-African Conference, which will mark its 70th anniversary in two years. Furthermore, 2025 will be an important year for South Africa also for the presidency of the G20.
“So, the reflection of South Africa-Indonesia relations this time is not only Indonesia as a host of the BRICS, but South Africa also wants to learn more from Indonesia’s G20 presidency as a model for those who will become G20 presidents after the Brazil,” he said.
Furthermore, he said that the BRICS and the G20 were golden moments for Indonesia to appear stronger in diplomacy and embrace more developing countries, especially of the BRICS.
“Indonesia is starting to get involved not only in global economic forums, but in reviving soft power diplomacy in the context of the ‘Spirit of Bandung’, cultural ties and other social ties that cannot be separated between Indonesia and South Africa” , he said.
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