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URI to celebrate 50th anniversary of partnership with Indonesia

Ceremonies to be held May 18, 19 on Kingston Campus

WHAT: University of Rhode Island and Republic of Indonesia will celebrate this week the 50th anniversary of a partnership that has led to extensive collaborations in education, marine affairs and policy, environmental protection and oceanography.

In 1972, with support from the U.S. government, the University partnered with the Republic of Indonesia to help the country gain sovereignty over its seas at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. Since the partnership began, URI:

  • Helped Indonesia design the framework for the country’s first national Marine Protected Area; 
  • Helped design, create and launch Indonesia’s national Sea Grant Program, which the country calls Mitra Bahari (Sea Partners), and 
  • Helped Indonesians earn advanced degrees, many of whom went on to be the national founders of the Indonesian national Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and many important educational programs.

WHEN: Wednesday, May 18, 10 to 11:30 a.m.; Thursday, May 19, 9 to 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: May 18, main speaking program in Robert J. Higgins Welcome Center, 45 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus. May 19, certificate ceremony, in Richard E. Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences, Room 100, Kingston Campus

WHO: URI President Marc B. Parlange, Thomas E. White, U.S. Agency for International Development advisor for governance, Asia; Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Indonesian ambassador to the U.S.; URI alum Gellwynn Jusuf, chief of planners for the Ministry of National Development Planning of Indonesia; John Kirby, dean of URI’s College of the Environment and Life Sciences; Brook William Ross, URI director of education and business partnerships, Asia; Nova Iriansyah, governor of Aceh, Indonesia, as well as virtual remarks from Rhode Island’s congressional delegation and Indonesian officials.

TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO COVER THE EVENT: Please contact Dave Lavallee, URI Marketing and Communications at 401-465-4291 or dlavallee@uri.edu. Parking for the main speaking program is available at Lot 1 off Briar Lane, behind the Higgins Welcome Center.

The May 18 ceremonies may also be viewed online, and you can see the certificate ceremony here.