President of Indonesia Joko Widodo, in Brisbane for the G20 Leaders' Summit, has visited QUT to explore the university's two-storey high digital Cube.
Accompanied by the First Lady of Indonesia Iriana Widodo, the President was shown The Cube's capacity and versatility enjoying interacting with the digital display space.
The president explored the interactive "Virtual Reef" and "Physics Playroom" and was shown a giant interactive map of Brisbane during the 2011 floods at the "Data Wall".
At The Cube Globe President Widodo explored a range of interactive maps, animation and multi-media, which visualised the trading relationship between Indonesia and Queensland.
QUT enjoys a close relationship with Indonesian students, academics and institutions.
One of the most recent and exciting initiatives to foster deeper ties is the New Colombo Plan Program under which four QUT student tours to Indonesia have been made in 2014.
These short-term programs provided QUT students with Indonesian learning experiences during 2014 in:
•Harnessing mobile technologies to solve real-world challenges in Indonesia (BINUS International, Jakarta)
•International property market comparative study (Universitas Surabaya, Surabaya)
•Tomorrow's health professionals: developing multidisciplinary understanding in Indonesia (Diponegoro University, Semarang)
•Jakarta fashion industry study (BINUS International, Jakarta)
QUT Creative Industries researchers are also working with Indonesian organisations to develop the use of mobile devices to assist community health workers in Bali and Sulawesi provide education on HIV prevention, oversee voluntary testing and provide support and counselling for those undergoing treatment. The research is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC).
QUT has 150 Indonesian students, among them doctoral candidate Rido Panjaitan, on leave from Indonesia's Ministry of Finance , who is investigating key constraints and success factors for government agencies' use of e-governance at QUT Creative Industries Faculty.
Other partnerships of note are:
Professor Paul Barnes who is deputy director of QUT's Centre for Emergency and Disaster Management (CEDM) is working with the Centre for Disaster Research at ITS in Surabaya to develop infrastructure protection and disaster management strategies, critical elements of Indonesia's National Long-Term Development plan.
QUT Faculty of Education and the East Java Education Agency (EJEA) are working on a program to develop strategic leadership for inclusive education in East Java. This program is funded by the Australian Leadership Award Fellowship.
QUT and Indonesia's Directorate for Early Childhood Education and Development in Ministry of Education & Culture are working to improve the quality and competency of early childhood teachers in Indonesia by increasing the skills, knowledge and leadership capacities of 16 early childhood master trainers.
Professor Helen Edwards is working with Indonesian medical and nursing faculties in Jakarta, Jogyajakarta, Semarang and Surabaya to develop improved techniques for healing chronic wounds.
Media contact: Rose Trapnell, QUT media officer, 07 3138 2361 or 0407 585 901 rose.trapnell@qut.edu.au
