Vice President of IJSO and President of Society for International Gifted in Science (SIGS) Visiting Indonesia

Prof. Sang Chun Lee (Vice President of IJSO for Asian region) accompanied by his wife and Prof. Hasuck Kim (president of Society for International Gifted in Science) were visiting Indonesia from January 8th - 12th, 2008.

The purpose of the visit was related with the 5th IJSO in Korea that will be held in December 2008, where there will be also held the Asean + 3 ministers meeting. As the Chairman of the 5th IJSO, Prof. Sang Chun Lee give a special invitation by himself to the Minister of Education for Indonesia for the Ministers meeting to address his speech at the 5th IJSO opening ceremony.  However, the Minister of Education was in his official visit to Philippine at that time, so that the invitation was received by Prof. Dr. Suyanto (The director general for the Middle and high school) accompanied by Dr. Hamid Muhammad (the Director for Junior high school) at the Minister office at Jalan Jendral Sudirman, Jakarta on January 9th, 2008.

The meeting with the director general was started by Prof. Dr. Masno Ginting (president of IJSO) in a formal way by introducing Prof. Sang Chun Lee and Prof. Hasuck Kim. However, the director general finally change the meeting to become a friendly meeting by discussing so many things about Korea that is very interesting for him, especially when he was still  the president of State University in Yogyakarta, he was invited to visit Korea. Finally, the director general promised that he will pass the invitation to the Minister of Education of Indonesia to attend the Ministers meeting in Korea in December. Then the meeting was ended by gifts exchange between Prof. Sang Chun Lee and the director General.

At the same date (about one and half hour later), the meeting with the minister of Science and Technology of Indonesia was held at his office at Jalan Thamrin, Jakarta. However, the minister of Science and Technology was also not able to meet us, because the president of the Republic of Indonesia called him for the cabinet meeting. The minister of Science and Technology was replaced by two of his deputies, Prof. Dr. Carunia Firdaussy and Dr. Bambang Setiadi. Again the meeting was started by Prof. Masno Ginting introduction. Then Prof. Sang Chun Lee and Prof. Hasuck Kim explain the purpose of the visit to the minister of Science and Technology in much more details, especially the implementation of the new technology in Solar Energy, which is recently developed in Korea. The two deputy minister were so interested, especially Prof. Sang Chun Lee is inviting the Minister of Science and Technology and also the two deputies to Korea in April, 2008 at the launching ceremony of the new technology for solar energy. At the meeting, Dr. Bambang Setiadi was proposing the New Technology would be appropriate to be implemented at Nusa Penida Island in Bali. So that it is also planned to invite the Governor of Bali to come to Korea at the launching ceremony.
At the end of the meeting, Prof. Sang Chun Lee handed the Special Gift, the “Korean Bell” for the Minister of Science and Technology. After Prof. Sang Chun lee and Prof. Hasuck Kim returned home, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Kusmayanto Kadiman sent an email personally to both of them to say thanks for the visit and the gift, which he knew the story behind it very well.

Other activities that Prof. Sang Chun Lee, his wife and Prof. Hasuck Kim had done in Indonesia were visiting the Research Center for Physics-Indonesian Institute for Science (P2F-LIPI), visiting Tangkuban Perahu mountain and also the Hot Spring Water in West Jawa, which is about 180 km from Jakarta, enjoying Indonesian fruits such as rambutan, salak (snake fruit), sirsak, jambu (guafa), Avokat (avocado) and also durian. However, both Professors were still working using an internet while visiting Indonesia, especially after returning to the IJSO Head quarter where they were staying during the visit.

Finally, on January 12th, 2008 Prof. Sang Chun Lee with his wife and Prof. Hasuck Kim were happily returned back to Korea. 

January, 2008

Prof. Dr. Masno Ginting.