UNSW Awarded Honoris Causa to Indonesian Alumnus

Liputan6.com, Sydney - Founded in 1949, the University of New South Wales, Australia is one of the top 50 universities in the world. Recently, the first Indonesian alumnus was awarded with the degree of Doctor of the University, honoris causa. The President Commissioner of PT. Elang Mahkota Teknologi (EMTEK), Eddy Sariaatmadja was recognized as an outstanding entrepreneur and businessman, and acknowledged for the charitable contribution to the social and economic needs to the less fortunate.

Professor Fred Hilmer, President and Vice-Chancellor of UNSW explained, “What he has done in term of philanthropy it shown he is not just doing this for the money but he is building his businesses to enable social good to follow, whether is the eye clinics and support to research for heart disease.”

Mr. Sariaatmadja also has significant contribution to the tie of Australia and Indonesia. “I think Eddy Sariaatmadja is one the Indonesia great ambassadors to the world but particularly to Australia, and because he has such keenship with Australia he is one of the Indonesians that Australia knows that can relate to. So he has a persuasive ambassadorial role which is great for the relationship between Australia and Indonesia,” said Paul Keating, the former Prime Minister of Australia who attended the ceremony.

“I just think he absolutely what the University of New South Wales wants their students to be and we are delighted we could honoured him,” David Gonski added as the Chancellor of the University of New South Wales and as fellow businessman.

The 38-hectare campus of the University of New South Wales is located at Kensington, just seven kilometres from the centre of Sydney.

Renowned for the quality of its graduates and its world class research, UNSW offers extensive range of undergraduate, postgraduate and research programs; Art & Design, Arts & Social Sciences, Built Environment, Business School, Engineering, Law, Medicine, and Science. (Beverly Gunawan)