Global Focus Year of Indonesia: Ecological and Human Diversity
By Greg GalfordGlobal Focus CoordinatorAssistant Professor of Interior Architecture
The Global Focus country of the year for 2017-18 is Indonesia. This is due to the ongoing relationships that Chatham has had with the country for several years. Over the past few months, a series of activities have been planned for the upcoming year that should give students and faculty a basic understanding of the place. Indonesia is a country of 260 million people, making it the fourth largest country in the world. Being comprised of 17,000 islands and being the world’s most populous Muslim country attest to its importance. It is currently the sixteenth largest economy in the world and a major exporter of natural resources and manufactured goods.The ENG 105 courses will be using the book, Supernova, by author Dee Lestari. She is a well-known singer and author within the country and her books are best sellers. This book presents unique characters outside the norms of traditional Indonesian society and is set within upscale modern Jakarta. Ms. Lestari will be visiting with Chatham students through a Skype discussion in November.Global Focus will be presenting the film, The Peace Agency, by Sue Useem, in December as part of the Women’s Film Series. The director will be at Chatham that day to participate in a discussion about the film.An event to showcase the music of Indonesia will include a presentation of the gamelan orchestra at the University of Pittsburgh. This event is currently being planned and a date and venue will be announced soon.The Office of Student Activities is planning a badminton event for the fall or spring semester as it is the national sport of Indonesia.Various faculty presentations regarding the history, culture, and art of the country are currently in the planning stages.We hope to host the Indonesian ambassador on Chatham’s campus in the spring. Coordination is now under way for that event.The Global Focus website is now current with Indonesia events. Please check that for further details