Leiden and Indonesia strengthen ties on sustainable research
Prof. Arnold Tukker, Scientific Director of the Institute of Environmental Sciences Leiden (CML), visited the Center for Sustainable Development Goal Studies (SDGs Center) as part of a trip to Asia. The SDGs Center is a Center of Excellence at Padjadjaran University in Bandung, Indonesia, with which Leiden strengthens their collaboration.
Sustainable Development Goals
Prof. Tukker visited the Center for a working visit with Viktor Pirmana and Prof. Armida Alisjahbana. Pirmana is a PhD student at the CML and investigates how to use and expand the United Nations (UN) System of Environmental and Economic Accounts to monitor the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The seventeen SDGs focus on topics like the total eradication of poverty and hunger, good health and well-being, access to education and sustainability problems. They were adopted by all UN member states in 2015. Prof. Alisjahbana was the Indonesian Minister of National Development Planning (Bappenas) until 2014 and is currently the director of the SDGs Center. She has been formally appointed as co-supervisor of Pirmana by the Leiden Faculty of Science, together with Tukker and Dr. Rutger Hoekstra, former employee at Statistics Netherlands and now visiting scientist at CML.
Panel
Tukker was also asked to contribute to the launch of a book on SDGs written by Prof. Alisjahbana, titled ‘Sustainable Development Goals in Indonesia – concept, objectives and implementation strategies’. The seminar took place on 17 April in Jakarta. The opening speech was delivered by Prof. Emil Salim, one of Indonesia’s most prominent specialist in economic development and sustainability. He served between 1973 and 1993 in various ministerial positions in the Soeharto government. Tukker discussed the potential of Sustainable Consumption and Production strategies to contribute to the SDGs. He did so in a panel that included Dr. Endah Murniningtyas, Co-chair of the Independent Group of Scientists (IGS) for the UN Global Sustainable Development Report 2019, and Dr. Bayu Krisnamurthi, Bogor Agricultural University and former Vice Minister of Trade. The panel was moderated by Dr. Nina Sardjunani, head of the National Secretariat on SDGs. The seminar was closed by Prof. Bambang Brodjonegoro, the current Minister of Bappenas. The visit marked an important step in strengthening the collaboration of Leiden University and Indonesia on research in support of the SDGs.
