News and Opportunities
Professional development workshops engage Australian alumni in Indonesia
03 May 2013
An Austrade seminar ‘Entrepreneurship: Develop the Skills to Start Your Own Business’ has been well received by female alumni from 22 Australian institutions. The seminar was held in commemoration of Kartini, an important advocate for women’s right to education.
Around 60 women from various age groups, education backgrounds and professions participated in the seminar on 16 April in Jakarta, each having graduated from an Australian institution sometime between 1966 and 2012.
Three Australian alumni presented as part of the seminar. Featured speakers included the winner of the 2011 Australian Alumni Awards for Entrepreneurship, Curtin University alumnae Ligwina Hananto, co-founder and chief executive of QM Financial who spoke about ‘Achieving Your Financial Freedom’ in an interactive and practical session comprising financial management, business planning and investment calculation.
The participants also had the opportunity to hear from successful entrepreneur Lianna Gunawan, a UNSW alumnae and the first Indonesian to win the prestigious Cartier Women Initiative Award in 2012. Lianna shared her success story in expanding her business, La Spina Shoes, into the international market in less than two years.
Moderating the seminar was Adsa Hermawan, a Queensland University of Technology graduate currently working as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Participants engaged enthusiastically in the networking game and received useful skills to acquire and utilise business contacts from the networking trainer, Sonny Jethnani, an event organiser and committee member of Britchams and InterNations Professional Women Group.
The seminar celebrated achievements made by Indonesian women who have studied at Australian institutions, providing a channel to reconnect with old friends and build new connections. The goal of the seminar was to provide opportunities for women to learn business development strategies from fellow successful alumni who are also industry experts. The intention was for participants to be inspired, grow confidence and pick up skills to start their own business.
The initiative was the first event in the annual Professional Development Seminar Series for Indonesian women that have graduated from Australian institutions. It is hoped the event will become a regular networking activity for the alumni community in Jakarta and serve as a way to promote Australian education institutions in Indonesia.
Analysis
It is estimated there are around 30–40 000 Australian alumni in Indonesia with various education backgrounds. Many hold prominent positions in government and public sectors, while others are top-level professionals managing privately-owned businesses.
The recent seminar is an example of how Australian education institutions can foster closer relationships with the Indonesian alumni network. At the same time, it provides an avenue for promoting institutional profiles, penetrating the market and opening doors to possible linkages.
For more information, contact Ms Joceline Jadisastra, Education Manager, Austrade Jakarta.
Enthusiastic discussion panel at a professional development seminar for female Australian alumni from Indonesia, featuring Sony Jethnani, Ligwina Hananto, Adsa Hermawan and Liana Gunawan.