The Indonesian economy is currently undergoing a transition period. After decades of economic growth and poverty reduction, it now faces the urgent need to evaluate how government policies are formulated and implemented. Key issues in public sector management—such as corruption, favoritism, and bureaucracy—are receiving increasing attention. In response, the Indonesian government has continued to reform macroeconomic policies, fiscal decentralization, financial systems, loan restructuring, and privatization. These economic challenges demand improvements in governance to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the public sector.
In response to these developments, on Friday (22/01/2010), the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University (AYSPS GSU), the Department of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This collaboration focuses on developing human resource capacity, particularly in public policy.
Present at the MoU signing were the Dean of FEB UGM, Prof. Marwan Asri, MBA., Ph.D., FEB UGM Vice Deans, Head of the Master of Science (M.Si) and Doctoral Program, Dr. Supriyadi, M.Sc., Deputy Head of M.Si, Head of Fiscal Policy at the Department of Finance, Dr. Anggito Abimanyu, M.Sc., along with his staff, and USAID Mission Director Walter North and his team. In his remarks, Walter North stated that studying at GSU is a great decision, as it is one of the leading universities in the United States for public policy studies.
The cooperation aims to facilitate a study program for the Department of Finance staff participating in a dual degree program, specifically designed to address issues and challenges in the Indonesian economy. A dedicated tutorial program, academic supervisors, and administrative staff have been prepared to support this initiative. The dual degree program begins with 12 months of study in the Master of Science Program at FEB UGM, followed by 17 months at GSU. This tailor-made program is aligned with Indonesia’s need for more public sector economic analysts. Upon completion, students will earn a Master of Science degree from UGM and a Master of Arts degree from GSU. Graduates will be equipped to analyze the public sector economy in a modern context, including evaluating the performance of public policies.
