On 16 November (Fri), 2012, GRIPS welcomed Prof. Dr. Bacharrudin Jusuf Habibie, who delivered a special lecture on the topic “Indonesia in the Asian Century”.

Prof. Dr. Habibie shared his opinion on what needs to be done for the Pacific Rim countries including Indonesia to develop in synergy, drawing on episodes from his time in the Indonesian government.  He talked about energy issues, and reviewed how Japanese and Indonesian societies have changed respectively in the past decade using factual numbers.  He concluded that in order for Japan to overcome the challenges she will inevitably face in the future, such as decreasing & aging population and financial debt, she should strengthen her ties with Indonesia in various fields, building a positive synergy between the two countries.

Prof. Dr. Habibie also shared with us a trailer of a movie scheduled to come out this winter featuring the romance between himself and his wife Mrs. Ainun Habibie who has passed away in 2010.  The lecture concluded to warm applause from the audience.

President Shiraishi greeting Professor Habibie

(Ambassador Lutfi in the middle)