MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
The sudden death of Professor Heinz Arndt this week is a sad loss to
Australia and our region. Professor Arndt was this country's leading scholar on
Australian/Indonesian economic relations and Indonesia's economic role in Asia.
We are indebted to Professor Arndt's foresight, passion and energy, which
served to contribute to the advancement of quality debate on Indonesian economic
issues and position Australia as a world leader in the field of Indonesian
economic relations.
Professor Arndt's interest began with his work on the Indonesia Project at
the Australian National University in the mid 1960s - a particularly difficult
time for Australian/Indonesian relations. However his commitment and hard work
meant Indonesian economic studies were firmly established in Australia through
the transition of government in Indonesia in 1966 and 1967, which led to the
long Suharto era.
His work - reflected in the academic journal Bulletin of Indonesian
Economic Studies (BIES) and through the team of researchers he
nurtured - has developed an international reputation of excellence. Professor
Arndt's post-retirement project, the editing of a key journal (Asian-Pacific
Economic Literature), has received similar recognition.
Heinz Arndt's work has meant that the ANU evolved into the world centre,
outside of Indonesia, for the study of Indonesian economics. This is a
remarkable achievement considering that Indonesia is the world's third largest
developing country by population.
Professor Arndt will be sorely missed. However I am pleased to announce that
his work will be carried forward through the Australian Government's support for
the placement of the entire collection of the BIES journal onto a special
CD ROM.
In this way access to this important research work will be greatly improved,
particularly throughout Indonesian universities and institutions.
Contact: Chris Kenny (Ministerial) 02 6277 7500 / 0419 206
890