In collaboration with SMERU Research Institute and Universitas Sebelas Maret, the ANU Indonesia Project conducted the 2020 Forum Kajian Pembangunan (FKP) Roadshow in four cities in Kalimantan. The overall theme of this year FKP Roadshow is education in Inodnesia. The first main presenter during this roadshow was Daniel Suryadarma (The SMERU Research Institute) who showed that the average math abilities of children in Indonesia’s primary school is low and argued that those abilities do not improve much even after these children finish high schools. The second main presenter was Tri Mulyaningsih (Universitas Sebelas Maret) who presented her research on how receiving an education scholarship improves the academic performances of students coming from poor families. The third speaker was Budy Resosudarmo (ANU Indonesia Project) who presented the impact of having chronic malnutrition during childhood on the academic performance of adults. In each city, there was also a presentation by an academic from the host university.

The first FKP Roadshow was in Banjarmasin (South Kalimantan) hosted by the Universitas Lambung Mangkurat on 3 February 2020.  The Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Muhammad Riza Firdaus, gave opening remarks at the seminar. In this event, Muzdalifah (Universitas Lambung Mangkurat) presented her study on the status of human capital in South Kalimantan. Approximately 80 people attended this event, comprising faculty members and post graduate students in the Faculty of Economics and Business and officials from the local development planning agency (BAPPEDA). During the Q&A session, the Head of South Kalimantan BAPPEDA used the opportunity to present the medium plan in developing human capital in South Kalimantan. The main discussion during the seminar was how important math ability should be within Indonesia’s education program. Short report of the Roadshow in Banjarmasin can be seen in this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stYu7XD5bpc.

The second FKP Roadshow was in Palangkaraya (Central Kalimantan) hosted by Universitas Palangkaraya on 4 February 2020.  The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, representing the Rector of the University, gave the opening remarks and presented the University’s plan in developing their campus to improve the quality of education. Approximately 60 faculty members from throughout the University attended the seminar. At the end of the seminar, the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business gave closing remarks conveying his hope that the ANU Indonesia Project would be willing to develop more program with the University.

The third FKP Roadshow was in Samarinda (East Kalimantan), hosted by the University of Mulawarman on 5 February 2020.  The Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Syarifah Hudayah, gave the opening remarks and Fitriadi (Universitas Mulawarman) presented his paper on the labour market in East Kalimantan. The main discussion during the Q&A session was on how to improve the quality of universities in Kalimantan. Approximately 80 people attended the seminar; most were.  faculty members and graduate students at the Faculty of Economics and Business.

The final FKP Roadshow was in Pontianak (West Kalimantan), hosted by Universitas Tanjungpura on 5 February 2020.  The Rector of the University, Garuda Wiko, delivered the opening remarks and Fariastuti (Universitas Tanjungpura) presented her work on the quality of university graduates in West Kalimantan and the local labour market. More than 100 people attended the seminar. Besides faculty members and students, officials from the provincial government of West Kalimantan also participated. During the seminar, the main discussion during the Q&A was on how to improve the quality of university graduates at least comparable with those graduates from Malaysian universities such as Universiti Malaysia Serawak.