On Wednesday, June 4th, the Graduate School of Policy Science at Ritsumeikan University welcomed distinguished guests from the Ministry of National Development Planning of Indonesia (Bappenas) and the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia.

The delegation was led by Mr. Eka Chandra Buana, Deputy for Economic Affairs at Bappenas, and included members of Commission XI of the House of Representatives—Mr. Mukhamad Misbakhun (Head of Commission), Mr. Mohammad Hekal, Mr. Fauzi Amro, and Mr. Hanif Dhakiri—along with supporting staff. Commission XI is responsible for matters related to finance, national development planning, and financial institutions. The delegates met with Professor Yoshida Tomohiko, Dean of the Graduate School, to discuss the continued strengthening of the collaborative relationship between Ritsumeikan University and the Government of Indonesia.

A key focus of the visit was to monitor and engage with Bappenas-sponsored scholarship students currently studying at the university. The members of the House of Representatives held an open dialogue with the students to understand the challenges they face, their academic progress, and to gather feedback that could help enhance Indonesia’s overseas scholarship programs. The delegation expressed hope that the knowledge and experience gained by the students will significantly contribute to national development when they return to serve in their respective institutions in Indonesia.