MAKASSAR – Hasanuddin University (Unhas) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Indonesia discussed strengthening multilateral partnerships amid increasingly complex global geopolitical dynamics.
The discussion took place at a public lecture titled “Indonesia, the Netherlands and the EU: Stable, Reliable and Predictable Partnerships in Turbulent Times,” held at the Arsjad Rasjid Lecture Theater at Unhas on Wednesday (19 August).
The Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Jakarta, Mr. Adriaan Palm, attended as the main speaker.
Opening the event, the Head of the Information Management and Monitoring Subdirectorate at Unhas, Rakhmat Nurul Prima Nugraha, S.E., M.Sc., said that global challenges, from the Covid-19 pandemic to geopolitical dynamics, require strong and adaptive partnerships.
“The world has gone through various complex external challenges, from the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 to the latest geopolitical dynamics. Through this forum, we hope to discuss strong and adaptive opportunities for collaboration,” said Rakhmat.
Rakhmat said that understanding global dynamics is important for the academic community to broaden international perspectives and to improve readiness for challenges in the future.
In his presentation, Mr. Adriaan Palm discussed how international diplomacy has changed since the 1990s. He said that advances in information technology and social media have transformed diplomacy, which was once largely conducted behind closed doors, into something increasingly open and involving more stakeholders.
“In the past, diplomacy was largely conducted in closed rooms. Today, diplomacy takes place in the public sphere, which demands quick responses. However, we must be careful that pragmatism does not come at the expense of upholding international law,” explained Mr. Palm.
The diplomat, who has long experience in international relations, also stressed the need to revitalize the multilateral system so that it can bridge differences in interests among countries.
He said international cooperation needs to be built gradually through dialogue and by strengthening areas of shared interest.
“The key to facing these challenges is building bridges of dialogue between the Global North and South and between West and East. We need to consistently strengthen cooperation in areas of shared interest,” he explained.
The public lecture was interactive, with a discussion and question-and-answer session between Mr. Adriaan Palm and the participants, who were mostly members of the Unhas academic community.
The forum, held at the Arsjad Rasjid Lecture Theater at Unhas on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, provided a space for the academic community to understand developments in geopolitics and international diplomacy, while strengthening Unhas’s network of cooperation with international partners.(*/san)
Editor : Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.