Former Indonesian President Talks Technology and Economic Stability in the Islamic World at GU-Q

Georgetown University Qatar (GU-Q) will be hosting the former president of Indonesia, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, for lecture a titled “Optimizing Technology and Human Resources for Economic Stability in the Islamic World”. The presentation, organized by GU-Q as a public community event that brings global leaders to a Qatar audience, will be held on their Education City campus today Tuesday, December 10, 2013, at 6:00 PM.

“We must make as our primary agenda, efforts to prioritize human resource development and mastery of technology in every Muslim country,” said Dr. Habibie in comments about the upcoming lecture. “Indonesia and Qatar both have the capabilities, it is only up to us to be able to capitalize on opportunities to create positive synergy. It should not only be our desire to do so, but it should be our responsibility to do so.”

Dr. Habibie was the third president of the Republic of Indonesia, and is credited as being one of the key figures in the drive towards government reform in Indonesia through the abolishment of restrictions on the formation of labor unions, the release of political detainees and the promotion of a democratic space for the Indonesian people. As the founder & chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Habibie Center, considered one of the leading independent think tanks in Indonesia, he continues working to improve human rights in Indonesia.

“Here at Georgetown, we have a long history of educating the men and women who serve as leaders in their communities and on the global stage,whether in government, business or the arts,” said Dean Gerd Nonneman. “So it is a particularly special occasion for us when someone of Dr. Habibie’s stature – not only a former president, but a scientist and an intellectual who continues to forge a path of development and reform in his country – makes a personal visit to share the wisdom of his experience and expertise.”

An accomplished aeronautical engineer and scientist, Dr. Habibie received his Ph.D in engineering, or Doktor der Ingenieurwissenschaften degree, in 1965 from the Technical University of Aachen in West Germany. He was appointed Minister of State for Research and Technology and concurrent Head of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) in the Indonesian Government in 1978. Since 1997, he has also been the President of the Islamic International Forum for Science, Technology and Human Resources Development (IIFTIHAR).

The public lecture is organized in partnership with the Indonesian Embassy in Qatar and two organizations catering to the needs of the local Indonesian community: ICMI – Qatar, or Ikatan Cendekiawan Muslim Indonesia (the Indonesian Association of Muslim Intellectuals in Qatar), committed to fighting poverty and improving education in Indonesia, and Permiqa, a social organization for the entire Indonesian community residing in Qatar. Anyone interested in attending the lecture is requested to RSVP at sfsqevents@georgetown.edu