As reported on the official website of the Master of International Relations (MIHI), Salman Al Farisi, the Indonesian Ambassador to South Africa, was present as a speaker at a Limited Discussion event organized by the MIHI Study Program and International Relations (S1) of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY). This event aims to follow up on cooperation in research on Indonesia and African countries.
The Indonesian Ambassador to South Africa explained that African countries are a potential market that has not been explored much by Indonesia. Instead, China, followed by India, has already executed it. Therefore, the presence of the Ambassador at UMY is to discuss with lecturers in the MIHI and HI study programs at UMY to open up opportunities for cooperation and research on relations between Indonesia and Africa. “We must also encourage our investment in African countries, like China and India,” he said in the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences meeting room at UMY (10/7).
Regarding this, Salman Al Farisi invited lecturers and researchers in International Relations Studies at UMY to start getting involved by initiating research related to Indonesian-African relations. He further stated that there are still many challenges to be faced in building trade cooperation with African countries, such as high tariffs, rampant corruption, supporting bureaucracy, and difficult visa permits. However, these challenges can be opportunities that Indonesia can utilize in the future.
