Webinars on Policy and Public Administration were held by the Indonesian Embassy in Washington D.C through BIANKA Series-15
Tuesday (10/12/2021), the Bincang Karya (Bianka) was again held by the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Washington D.C. through the Educational and Cultural Attaché (Atdikbud). The 15th Bianka carried the theme of public policy and administration.
This serial webinar was held in collaboration with the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) and the Indonesian State University Chancellor Council (MRPTNI) which aimed at increasing research and education collaboration between Indonesia and the United States.
Popy Rufaidah, Atdikbud of the Republic of Indonesia in Washington D.C. stated the importance of increasing human resources in the fields of policy and public administration. Thus, the government strongly supported this program through the provision of LPDP scholarships.
“This webinar aims to build direct communication in an effort to build cooperation between Indonesia and the United States in the field of education as well as research cooperation in the fields of policy and public administration with the support of LPDP scholarships,” said Atdikbud Popy when opening the event.
In line with Popy, Dr. Dwi Larso, Director of LPDP Scholarships, Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia who was also present that night, said that LPDP continued to support efforts to increase various research collaborations and increase the number of students to study in the US.
“I hope this webinar can enrich the audience’s knowledge, especially in the field of public policy and administration and inspire them to study and collaborate in research in the US. We will continue to support all of you to study in the United States.” said Dwi at the end of his speech.
Jamal Wiwoho, Head of MRPTNI, said that Bianka, which was a collaboration between the Indonesian Embassy in Washington DC, LPDP, and MRPTNI, has been conducted since 2020. MRPTNI would continue to support efforts to increase human resources for the next generation.
“I hope this webinar can provide information and open the widest possible network for generations who will continue their master’s and doctoral studies at the US universities with scholarships. I also hope that this webinar can strengthen research and education collaboration between universities in Indonesia and the US,” said Jamal on a separate occasion.
In this webinar led by Popy, Partomuan Juniult, one of the LPDP awardees and a doctoral candidate in public policy and administration, Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, Kentucky University, explained the topic of public policy that focused on the Causal Inference method. Partomuan emphasized the importance of studying causal effects for policy makers.
“In public policy studies, correlation is important to provide insight but sometimes it is not enough and can even lead to misleading. So it is important for policy makers to think about the causal effects of their policies,” said Partomuan.
His presentation this time was also accompanied by David R. Agrawal from the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration, Department of Economics, Columbia University. On this occasion, Agrawal also presented information about the programs that Kentucky University offers. An overview of various programs and research fields, especially for the Masters of Public Policy, was shared with all webinar participants. Not only that, various requirements related to registration at the campus are also explained.
Meanwhile, Ivan Mahardika, a Master candidate in public policy at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University discussed various trends in the field of public policy and administration at Columbia University, SIPA.
“There are several trends in the field of public policy that are currently being discussed, namely interdisciplinary approaches, evidence-based policy making, big data and Artificial Intelligence, Cooperation between the public and private sectors, and inclusive growth,” said Ivan.
Ivan also shared his experience when he was involved in research on food aid reform in Indonesia back in 2017.
This event was also joined by Euginia McGill, Senior Lecturer in Discipline of International and Public Affairs, School of International Public Administration, Columbia University. Mc.Gill provided various and comprehensive information related to the programs offered including dual degree programs, curriculum, and important information regarding the internship programs for students.
This webinar received a fairly high response from the participants. They were enthusiastic about digging up information related to LPDP scholarships and network access to universities in the United States.
For information, the recording of the Bianka Series-15 live broadcast can be accessed on the official Atdikbud USA Facebook page with the link https://bit.ly/fb-watch-bianka15