Jakarta (Indonesia Window) – A world that is getting narrower and narrower as it is influenced by technological advances and changes in human lifestyles, and therefore a number of global threats raise.

In an effort to deal with global threats, especially in the areas of environmental health and population, Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia has recently inaugurated the Center for Environment and Population Health, the Hub for Global Health Security (CEPH).

A number of representatives from friendly countries, including the Indonesian Consul General in Sydney, Heru Hartanto Subolo, were invited to give remarks and views on various topics.

On that occasion, Consul General Subolo stresses the importance of cooperation between Indonesia and Australia in dealing with global threats in the health and environmental fields.

“I encourage more collaboration, cooperation, and connection between Griffith University, specifically the Center for Environment and Population Health, the Hub for Global Health Security which is inaugurated today with universities and related institutions in Indonesia,” Consul General said.

He added that cooperation, collaboration and connections will make Indonesia and Australia more productive and effective in responding to global health and environmental threats, the fields that CEPH focused on.

Meanwhile, representatives of the Queensland State Administration and Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Representatives were also present at the inauguration ceremony and delivered speeches.

The former Minister of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia, who is also the Special Envoy for Climate Change, Rachmat Witoelar and his wife, Erna Witoelar were also present at the event.

Indonesia, China and Vietnam are countries where CEPH is building partnerships with.

With Indonesia, CEPH signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesian Muslim University in Makassar (South Sulawesi) in October 2014 on conducting research, seminars, training and workshops.

Griffith University’s CEPH which is an academic center that provides international collaboration has a focus on research areas including the theory and practice of global health promotion, climate change, disaster risk management and global health security.

“In late August 2018, President Joko Widodo and Prime Minister Scott Morrison increased the Indonesian and Australian partnerships into a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. I hope that CEPH could enhance people to people connection in the new partnership,” Consul General Subolo said.

The consul general concluded his remarks by expressing his appreciation on the inauguration of CEPH Hub for Global Health Security, and underlined the commitment of the Indonesian Consulate General in Sydney to facilitate the cooperation that has been established and which will be built in the future between the university’s institutions and their partners in Indonesia.

Reporting by Indonesia Window