Cablegate: Nsc Senior Director Ramamurthy Discusses S&T with Former

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FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4421
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UNCLAS JAKARTA 000155

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DEPT FOR STAS, OES, AND EAP
DEPT PASS TO OSTP JASON RAO
NSC FOR P. RAMAMURTHY
COMMERCE FOR NOAA
BANGKOK FOR RDM/A

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TSPL TBIO SCUL SENV ENRG PGOV ID
SUBJECT: NSC Senior Director Ramamurthy discusses S&T with former
President Habibie

1. (SBU) The U.S. Science Envoy effort is already yielding results
by laying the foundation for expanded science and technology (S&T)
cooperation. NSC Senior Director for Global Engagement Pradeep
Ramamurthy, Ambassador and White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy Senior Advisor Jason Rao met on January 27 with
the power center of Indonesia's S&T community, including Former
President B.J. Habibie, representatives from the Indonesia Academy
of Sciences, Indonesia Institute of Science, and the International
Islamic Forum for Science Technology and Human Resources Development
(IIFTIHAR), to discuss increasing U.S.-Indonesia science and
technology cooperation on January 27. Habibie and S&T interlocutors
welcomed greater S&T engagement with the U.S.

2. (SBU) Habibie emphasized the importance of science and technology
cooperation for bilateral relations and for economic development.
He also asked that President Obama speak before the IIFTIHAR or
before the Indonesian Academy of Sciences during his upcoming visit.
(Note: IIFTIHAR is a global Muslim science organization
established in 1996 by Muslim intellectuals from 84 NGO Islamic
organizations. President Habibie is its chairman.) President
Habibie also pointed out that President Yudhoyono (SBY) gave
credibility to the Academy of Science when he became the first
Indonesian president to deliver a speech there January 20. In this
speech, SBY articulated a national science policy for Indonesia.
SBY decided to give the speech after being invited to attend a
lecture Science Envoy Bruce Alberts planned to give to the
Indonesian Academies. SBY's speech would most likely not have
happened without U.S. engagement on S&T through the Science Envoy
effort.

3. (SBU) The Science Envoy effort is advancing in Indonesia despite
the postponement of Science Envoy Dr. Bruce Alberts' January visit.
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Senior Advisor
Jason Rao covered many of the events originally scheduled for Dr.
Alberts when the latter was sidelined by an injury. Rao's visit
(details reported septel) showed Indonesians that President Obama's
Cairo speech was real. As promised, he is sending out envoys to
discuss possibilities for S&T collaboration, including establishing
centers of excellence. Indonesia expressed eagerness to
collaborate.

4. (SBU) The visit underscored, however, that the U.S. could be more
effective in seizing opportunities for collaboration on research and
development and "stem" (science, technology, engineering, math)
education exchanges. The U.S. trails behind some other countries in
the region such as Japan, China, and Australia who have been making
things work in these areas. The U.S. Science Envoy effort thus far
has bolstered the Indonesian Academy of Sciences, which promises to
be a partner for S&T cooperation, starting with building an
evidence-based policy structure.

5. (U) Senior Director Ramamurthy cleared this message.

OSIUS

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