Written By: Teuku Aulia Geumpana

Honolulu, HI, Oct 21 – 23, 2008

The International Conference and Cultural Event on Aceh that was held by Center for Southeast Asian Studies, University of Hawaii at Manoa and International Acehnesse graduate students was finally resulted to the signing of agreement to collaborate in educational exchange between local universities in Aceh and University of Hawaii at Manoa. Prior to the signing of the MoU, intensive seminar and graduate student papers were presented for two consecutive days. The cultural performances from the Aceh local University of Ar-Raniry Islamic State Institute and Balinese dance from one of Indonesian student at UHM made the conference more entertaining.

Among the presenters at the conference, there were three Acehnesse Fulbright scholars who are still studying in the U.S. and two other Acehnesse Fulbright alumni that also attended the conference; Muhammad Irham (Fulbright scholar at Texas A&M University), Teuku Andika Rama Putra (Fulbright scholar at Colorado School of Mines) and myself as the representative from Arkansas (University of Arkansas at Little Rock). The other two Fulbright alumni were Saiful Mahdi (Fulbright alumni from University of Vermont) and Fajran Zein (Fulbright alumni from Indiana University). Below are brief note of activities during the conference.

October 21, 2008

The conference was conducted at Keoni Auditorium, Hawai‘i Imin International Conference Center, East-West Center, Honolulu, HI. The opening remark was started by Fajran Zein as the International Acehnesse Students and Associations representative. He is a Fulbright alumni at Indiana University graduated in 2007. The opening remarks were then followed by Terance Bigalke (Director of Education Program, East West Center), Yusni Saby (Aceh’s provincial government representative, Indonesia; President, Ar-Raniry Islamic State Institute;) and Andri Hadi (General Director of Information and Public Diplomacy, Jakarta, Indonesia).

Before the first session of seminar and dialog was started, some names were called to give the opening speeches. They were; Karl Kim (Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Hawai‘i Mānoa-UHM), Edward H, Young, Jr. (Deputy Director for the U.S. NOAA/National Weather Service Pacific Region in Honolulu, Hawaii. USA) and Noenoe K. Silva (Professor, Department of Political Science, UHM).

Professor Kim, as the expert in urban planning and disaster preparedness, mentioned in his speech that Aceh needs to build sustainable and resilience community post Tsunami 2004. He also related the similar situation between Aceh and New Orleans post Katrina. As one of the states in the U.S. that has Tsunami Warning Center (There are only two states in the U.S. that have Tsunami Warning Center; Hawaii and Alaska), Professor Kim suggested Aceh government to have a strong relationship or collaboration with Hawaiian municipals.

Edward Young, as the deputy director for the U.S. NOAA/National Weather Service Pacific Region in Honolulu welcome the idea of mutual relationship between Aceh and Hawaii which later been expressed in the signing of the MoU at the end of the conference.

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