SDG Academy Indonesia was launched on Tuesday, 8 October at the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Annual Summit 2019 in Jakarta. The SDG Academy will serve as an inclusive learning platform for government and non-government stakeholders and will help bolster the capacity of all its stakeholders and fast-track SDG progress across Indonesia. The Academy will serve as the SDG Knowledge Hub in Indonesia.
The SDG Academy's innovative program includes an SDG Leadership Certification (5 months), Mobile Learning (1 year) and Study Abroad (5 months), covering governance and policy, innovative solutions, and monitoring and reporting. The program is made possible by a number of seasoned, SDG-related experts. The Academy is also supported by an array of international speakers.
The initiative came as the result of a pubic-private collaboration between Indonesia's National Development Planning Agency (BAPPENAS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Tanoto Foundation. Tuesday's launch was presided over by Mr Bambang Brodjonegoro, Minister of National Development Planning, Mr Christophe Bahuet, Resident Representative, UNDP, and Mr Anderson Tanoto, representing the Board of Trustees of Tanoto Foundation.
"The Indonesian government is committed to achieving its SDGs. Through the Ministry of National Development Planning along with multi-lateral organisations and the private sector, the government has initiated the SDG Academy Indonesia. This is a program to develop the quality of Indonesian human resources to increase the capacity of stakeholders - both governmental and non-governmental - throughout Indonesia to localise the SDGs," said Bambang.
Anderson Tanoto said, "Development is our responsibility. In accordance with the SDG principles of inclusiveness and 'no one left behind,' the Tanoto Foundation acts as a catalyst for partnerships, with the government, the private sector and other development partners collaborating to achieve the SDGs. The launch of the SDG Academy Indonesia, which is the first initiative of its kind in Indonesia, is part of the Tanoto Foundation's commitment to implementing an ambitious, transformative and universal programme working towards poverty alleviation and sustainable development for all."
Christophe Bahuet stressed that with its emphasis on innovation and virtual learning, the Academy would fast-track SDG achievement in the country. "With only 11 years remaining to achieve its goals, achieving the SDGs needs increased participation from both state and non-state actors. However, access to knowledge can be a challenge, particularly at local level in a large archipelago like Indonesia. The SDG Academy, as an innovative learning platform, is our response to meet that challenge and to accelerate progress towards the SDGs, to offer curricula," he stated.
The Tanoto Foundation began collaborating with the Indonesian government and the UNDP localizing SDGs in Riau province in 2016. Through this project, Riau became in June 2018 the first province to implement the Regional Action Plan on SDGs. The Foundation also partnered with UNDP, Asian Agri, and the local government of Pelalawan Regency to develop innovation in basic education for the Sustainable Palm Oil Initiative which enabled Asosiasi Amanah to become the first Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO)-certified, resilient farmers in Indonesia.
