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Wassenaar – SIDH hosted the making of the famed Si Doel’s new miniseries, Monday, 14 January 2019. Rano Karno personally led his team of movie stars as well his film crews assisted by the production houses originated from Indonesia and The Netherlands.

Ambassador Puja also involved in the serial, so did some of our students and teachers. While the earlier acted as a teacher; yet, the latter mostly involved in supporting acts.

Through this cooperation, we hope it will improve SIDH visibility as a giver of education services in The Netherlands and Europe as well as promoting Indonesian simultaneously. For the opportunity, we thank the Indonesian Embassy and Rano Karno and team.

Indonesia Embassy, The Hague – Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) through its Bureau for Planning and International Cooperation (BPKLN) facilitated a consolidating event to optimise smoothness and effectiveness of the transition. The programme was held in the Indonesian Embassy, The Hague on Saturday, 24 November 2018, taking place the full day.

Presentations and updates of progress in terms of policy and relevant situations were provided by the related stakeholders. The event was opened by the MC, Bu Ponco Handayawati and then followed with the address of the Cultural and Education Attaché, Din Wahid, Ph.D. who outlined the background and objective of the programme. The Deputy Chief of Mission who is also the Chairman of the BPSI, Mr Fikry Cassidy, officially kicked off the programme. The ensuing presentations were given by the MEC’s Division Head of Planning and Budgetary, Mr Fathurrahman, BPKLN’s Sub-Division Head of Atdikbud and SILN Facility, Mr Rekso Grahara, SIDH’s Principal, Mr Udik Ripul, and SIDH Committee Chairperson, Bu Helen Setiawati. One of the most crucial issues touched upon by Mr Grahara in his presentation was on the ongoing policy discourse in Jakarta to retract SIDH’s international school status in The Netherlands and return it to the embassy school status.

This programme was also attended by SIDH teachers, SIDH Committee executives, and was formally closed by Mr Zainal Arifin, a senior official of the MEC’s Human Resources Bureau.

Wassenaar – This year SIDH held the tulip bulbs planting event on Friday, 23 November 2018. Despite a bit delayed than planned, this autumn ceremony evolved smoothly. Among our special guests present in the occasion were the Indonesian Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr Fikry Cassidy, the Information and Sociocultural Affairs of the Indonesian Embassy, Mr M. Yusuf, a delegation of Dharma Wanita Persatuan represented by Bu Rusdijana Puja and Bu Ms Veni Soedirman-Cassidy, and Komite SIDH represented by Bu Raya Mahdi-Nunez, and Mr Udik Ripul was in SIDH’s behalf.

The event was warmed up with a musical performance by SIDH band group. After the addresses of the keynote speakers, our most senior teacher, Bu Emma Rodini, narrated the history of tulip in the Netherlands and description of the tulip bulbs to be planted. It was then followed by the ceremonial planting by all the representing parties.

We recognise the success of this event SIDH is indebted to the hard work of our organising committee. SIDH therefore thanks our leading organising committee, Bu Nurna Susanti and Bu Ponco Handayawati assisted by Mr Mul and all SIDH community for their commitment and positive energy. Our gratitude and appreciation also goes to the Indonesian Embassy and Komite SIDH.

The Hague – As part of CTL, SIDH’s students and accompanying teachers visited Shell Generation Discover Festival on Friday, 19 October 2018. The event was organised on Malieveld close to The Hague Main Station.

One of the festival’s objectives was to stimulate young students to choose the technical stream in their studies (bèta) amidst the trend that more and more students in The Netherlands preferred alfa (non-exact disciplines) studies. There should be a balanced flow of graduates from these two disciplines to sustain economic growth. In its endeavour, for primary schools, Shell offers the Bright Ideas Challenges and Bright Ideas Hub, while for the secondary schools it creates the Jet-Net. Furthermore, Shell also presents Shell eco-marathon for tertiary students, and for entrepreneurs and start-ups it bids the New Energy Challenge.

At the festival SIDH students, of all levels, proved and tried to discover new technologies. They really enjoyed this inspiring occasion. We expected that some of our pupils would gain the inspiration to involve themselves in the development of technology and some would be interested in how to connect the beta disciplines with social sciences in multidisciplinary context. For the opportunity, we express our gratitude to Shell, The Hague Municipality as well the Office of Cultural and Education Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy that have supported SIDH attendance to the festival. Finally, our appreciation goes to the accompanying teachers.

Leiden – It was a much-cherished moment to attend Leiden University’s Open Day, 13 October 2018. I accompanied one of our students, Jasmijn who has shown keen interest to pursue a BSc programme in Bio-Farmaceutische Wetenschappen (BFW) at the University. Although she will complete her Senior High School in May 2020, Jasmijn thought it might be important to secure head-on information beforehand. At the BFW, she wishes to conduct medicinal research partly to scientifically investigate certain herbal and traditional healing materials from Mukomuko of Sumatra, the birthplace of her father who has consigned her with the Medicinal Enigma of Mukomuko, ISBN: 978-94-90633-10-3.

The introduction session to the BFW was organised early in the morning in the Grote Zaal of the Stadsgehoorzaal on the Breestraat, Leiden. The programme was presented by the BFW’s Student Ambassador, Stijn Colijn, a third year student of the department. Stijn did not only excellently introduce the programme but also about the future academic or professional prospects of its graduates.

The seats in the Grote Zaal that could accommodate around 838 visitors were fully occupied by VWO or Senior High School students whom each could be accompanied by one chaperon or parent. Even the galleries were also full. It reflected a high public excitement toward the BFW programme. The organisation of the event was professionally and well organised. For more information about studying at Leiden University in general, after the BFW’s presentation, we called on the information booths inside the Pieterskerk nearby. Here all of your questions related to studying in Leiden at any offered disciplines could receive satisfying explanations.

We visited the Academiegebouw afterwards just to show Jasmijn that inside the originally Dominican monastery, Leiden’s PhD promotions usually take place. From thence on, we dropped in the Lipsius gebouw, the complex where I, as a Leidenaar, used to study in late 1990s. Walking on the Paterbrug, we crossed the Witte Singel toward the P.N. van Eyckhof complex and Leiden University Library. Then we returned to Cleveringaplaats through the Reuvensbrug near the KITLV and back to the cutting-edge and subterranean car park near Molenwerf through Binnenvestgracht. Despite it was a lightning visit to Leiden, yet it was greatly inspiring for Jasmijn and, to me, it aroused homecoming feeling.

Like Technische Universiteit Delft, and nowadays Erasmus University and University of Groningen, Leiden University has been one of the preferred European universities by the alumni of the Indonesian School of The Hague (SIDH) when they decided to pursue tertiary study in Europe. Our alumni who so decided have studied—one whom I know is now completing his Master degree—at Leiden University either at first, second or top (doctorate) tiers.

We closed our trip to Leiden University that day with confidence that this institution cum town is not only a truly suitable place to study but also unique for many Indonesians due to our past relationship: Leiden Indologie-opleiding and the Dutch East Indies. We hope this connection—in modern understanding and context—will persevere.