WINNER 2024 strengthens Knowledge Relations Between the Netherlands and Indonesia

While the online sessions were valuable, the in-person interactions during the week were particularly impactful. "The success of our close knowledge relationship lies mainly in the personal connections."

need for academic talent to tackle major societal challenges. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between scientists, NGOs, governments, and civil society organizations. “Only together can we address these issues and preserve the world for future generations. After all, knowledge multiplies when shared. Let's give knowledge a chance to be shared and continue to flourish.”

To mark the official opening of the fifth WINNER edition, Minister Bruins, along with Professor Margot Weijnen (NWO), Tatang Muttaqin (Director General of Vocational Education of Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology), and Professor Agus Haryono (BRIN), pressed the red button.

“There’s no formal organization behind it, no foundation. We make this happen simply because we do it together.”

-Peter van Tuijl, director van Nuffic Southeast Asia

New cooperation initiatives

Furthering cooperation between the two countries, the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus (LDE) strategic alliance signed a cooperation agreement with Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology. Under the Indonesian Netherlands Consortium on Sustainable Futures (INUCoST), the three LDE universities are collaborating with five Indonesian universities (Universitas Airlangga, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, and Universitas Mulawarman) on joint research and education projects.

These projects focus on key Indonesian government priorities, including health, digitalization, tourism, heritage, and the green and blue economy. The development of Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, on Kalimantan Island, is also a focal point. Last month, the first consortium project, the "Future Challenges Lab: Co-creating Sustainable Practices in and Beyond the Indonesian City," was launched in Jakarta. In addition, the consortium partners are investing in educational programs and thesis labs, enabling students to contribute to the development of Nusantara through interdisciplinary research.

for instance, hosted the NL Knowledge House Matchmaking Event, where higher education institutions from both countries explored new opportunities for collaboration, including curriculum development, student and faculty exchanges, and innovative, sustainable initiatives that promote internationalization in education. Additionally, a competition was held for the best dissertation.

Strong knowledge relationship

Collaboration between the Netherlands and Indonesia in education and research has a long history, as emphasized by Peter van Tuijl, Director of Nuffic Southeast Asia and coordinator of the event’s organizing committee. “Our close knowledge relationship dates back many years. Indonesian students can be found at almost all Dutch universities, and the Indonesian Students' Association has chapters in 20 university cities.”

He also highlighted the strategic importance of Indonesia and Southeast Asia for Dutch business, noting that the Netherlands is the largest European investor in the region. What solidifies the knowledge relationship, however, is not just institutional agreements and projects, but the personal connections between Dutch and Indonesian universities. “It’s about people who have a personal connection with each other,” Van Tuijl explained. “This is why it’s so important to continue meeting at events like WINNER.”

WINNER was first organized five years ago during a state visit to Indonesia by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima. Despite the initial challenges posed by COVID-19, the event, which was held online, was a success. “It generated so much positive energy that we knew we had to make it an annual event,” Van Tuijl recalled. After two online editions, the event became hybrid, with the physical portion typically held in Indonesia—until this year.

Positive energy

After three days of knowledge exchange, inspiration, and networking, participants concluded at the closing meeting at the Indonesia House in Amsterdam that WINNER had brought about positive changes in the academic landscape. Education and culture attachés Yvonne Klerks (Dutch Embassy in Jakarta) and Agus Setiabudi (Indonesian Embassy in the Netherlands) reflected on the week, noting the positive energy, including collaboration between the governments. “We’ve seen so much positive energy this week. We must cherish this,” Klerks said. She emphasized the need for further strengthening cooperation, including through living labs and online learning communities. “It takes teamwork to make the dream work.”

Gerbert Kunst, Director of International Policy at the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science (OCW), concluded on behalf of the Netherlands: “We’re all proud of what’s been achieved over these three days of personal connections. We can show the world how we’re working on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through innovative partnerships.”

Indonesian Ambassador representative I Gusti Ayu Ratik Astari echoed these sentiments: “WINNER 2024 is a great example of fruitful cooperation between our countries. We’re excited to expand this further, with more events to come. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Peter van Tuijl agreed. “The success of WINNER lies in its people. There’s no formal organization behind it, no foundation. We make this happen simply because we do it together.”