Kazuo OIKE
Selamat siang Chairman Umar, and honorable leaders of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences. As President of Kyoto University, let me express my sincere welcome to you all in attending the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding between Kyoto University and LIPI today.
The exchanges between our two institutions expand over 30 years. These were mainly between LIPI and our Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies. I am very pleased to say that these successful past exchanges let to the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding at the university level. Exchanges between departments leading to a full scale exchanges between institutions, I believe this is the ideal way to form a Memorandum of Understanding. Let me express my deepest gratitude to everyone who cooperated in making this possible.
Kyoto University has so far concluded 69 Memoranda of Understanding with various universities around the world. However, they were all with universities and this is the first time we are forming one with an advance research institute. I understand that your institution is the most important organization that oversees national science and technology policies in Indonesia. I believe this exchange will bring about a totally different result in the field of research and human resource development than the normal exchanges we have had at the university level.
As you all know the destruction of forests is increasing on a global scale today.
The research and preservation of tropical forest carried out by our Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere is not just an important topic for Kyoto University, but is an important topic for the "survival" of all human being. I am looking forward to a fruitful joint research with your institution.
For over 30 years, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies has kept an office in Jakarta. Let me take a moment now to express my gratitude for all the support your institute has shown us over the years. Thanks to the excellent research facilities at your institution, we are able to form a joint research of interdisciplinary area studies from natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences.
On behalf of Kyoto University, I would like to express my deepest appreciation for your kind cooperation until now, and my heartfelt desire to promote cooperation into the future.
Terima kasih.