Mr. Bernard Gunawan Speech for Korean Ambassador Visit

Dear distinguished guests,

• Your Excellency Cho Taiyoung, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Indonesia

• First Secretary Kim Young Me, Labor and Education Attaché of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Indonesia

• Kim Sung Jae, of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Indonesia

• BINA NUSANTARA Board of Management
• Karen Imam, Director of BINUS Global
• All exchange students from South Korea
• Media partners
• BINUSIAN leaders, educators, students and alumni

Warm welcome and best wishes!

BINUS University is dedicated to building a strong Indonesia engaged in the region and the global questions. To prepare our students to lead Indonesia in this role, we have to build regional knowledge and we have to facilitate regional exchange of ideas. At BINUS, we do this by building an environment facilitative of international experience.

All BINUS students should graduate with international experience initiated through activities on our campus but also through international mobility. Today, the visit and the open lecture from His Excellency, the Ambassador, is also contributing to students’ global mindset. Every year, more than 6,000 students gain international experience.

A very important aspect of preparing our graduates to lead Indonesia in its international engagement is our exchange program. We partner with over 130 leading universities worldwide and we are a member of AIMS, ISEP and P2A.

The Republic of Korea is an important partner for us in this respect. We have an active relationship with 20 universities in South Korea. The country is the favorite study abroad destination for our students. We expect some 90 BINUS students will have studied with one of our partner universities in the Republic of Korea in 2017. A growing number of students from South Korea also joins BINUS every year.

Strong educational ties between countries build strong international relations. Studying and working together creates an understanding of different perspectives. Our students return from South Korea with a better knowledge of the country and lasting friendships. Ambassador’s lecture today will help expand this understanding by looking at international relations of the Republic of Korea.

Thank you, Your Excellency, for sharing your knowledge with us. Many thanks to all of the students and the audience for joining this event today. I am happy to see our countries growing the relationship and trade. I am especially happy to see students, faculty and higher education staff circulating between our countries. I am convinced this will benefit education and research for strong Asia.

Thank you.

Bernard Gunawan,

CEO of BINA NUSANTARA