Australia, Indonesia form anti-corruption and leadership school

The Jenderal Soedirman Center (JSC) of Indonesia and the Australian Graduate School of Leadership (AGSL) signed a joint venture establishing a leadership and ethics education institution, in a bid to eradicate the corruption culture in Indonesia.

“Leadership and ethics education should be an effective way to create new leaders who bring prosperity to the populace,” said JSC head Bugiakso on Thursday.

The school, expected to be launched in early 2013, will included anti-graft and local wisdom education in its curriculum.

To make courses fit with Indonesian culture, the joint venture will conduct six months of research in the country’s three main regions; Eastern, Central and Western Indonesia.

From an early stage, the school will focus on educating community figures and future leaders from government agencies, the police and military and political parties.

“Corruption is like a chronic cancer, and has to be cured by preparing upcoming leaders with a good ethics,” Bugiaksi said.

JSC researcher and consultant George Marantika said that the participants would take part in a home stays in poor areas. “Therefore, they will be able to look sensitively at the lives of the poor. Many of our leaders spend dozens of millions of rupiah on a dinner while being unaware how many Indonesians struggle to live on only Rp 500,000 (US$53.30) a month,” he said.

JSC and AGSL will fund all the operational costs, making the program free of charge.