Minister Unveils G20’s Priority Agendas on Education and Culture

Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Makarim Wednesday (02/09) has unveiled priority agendas on education and culture at the G20 Education and Culture Ministers Meeting chaired by the Government of Indonesia.

“Indonesia’s G20 Presidency received by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in December 2021 is a good opportunity as Indonesia and all countries in the world are currently struggling to rise from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Minister Nadiem Makarim said during the event adopting a theme “Kick Off G20 on Education and Culture”.

According to the Minister, Indonesia’s leadership in the G20 is a great momentum because Indonesia can show its extraordinary national character at a moment like this.

“One of the basic values ​​of our nation, mutual cooperation, is pivotal to help us and the world to recover and rise,” he said.

Regarding the priority agendas on education, Nadiem underscored that the Government will introduce a number of breakthroughs achieved in Merdeka Belajar Program (Freedom of Learning) as good practices and examples to be emulated by other countries.

On that occasion, he also expressed hope that Indonesia can inspire developed and developing countries, as well as establish beneficial partnership.

“There are four priority agendas on education sector that we will strive for as the leader of the G20 Education Working Group and at the summit with the other education ministers. First, Quality Universal Education. Second, Digital Technology for Education. Third, Solidarity and Partnership. Fourth, The World’s Future Post-Pandemic,” he explained.

In the field of culture, Nadiem said that there will be an Arts and Culture Conference for Recovery and a summit with the G20 culture ministers in the Borobudur Temple area.

“Indonesia calls on the world to encourage culturally-based sustainable living practices and the creation of a global consensus to achieve the goals,” he said.

At the end of his remarks, the Minister also invited the people and world leaders to take real and meaningful actions.

“Let’s realize the G20 theme of ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’ into real and meaningful actions. With the spirit to recover and rise together, I would like to invite everyone to strengthen mutual cooperation so we can make the Indonesia’s G20 Presidency a success and realize Freedom of Learning, Freedom of Culture,” he remarked.

The Minister then pulled a gunungan, which symbolizes mountains in Javanese shadow puppetry, that marked the inauguration of the G20 in the fields of education and culture.

In puppetry, gunungan describes life in the universe. The lifting of the gunungan is a symbol of the turn of the play, in which humans are struggling to change the course of their lives.