SEMINAR: The Role of Universities in Addressing the Global Climate Crisis (by video teleconference)

Background Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia is one of the promising universities in Indonesia who has been recognized by the quality of its graduates. As a university, we are committed to excellence with relevance, with a mission to be a world class-research- intensive university, to deliver teaching of the highest quality and to play a leading role in the economic, social, and the cultural development of the Indonesia. Our university was founded on June 1st , 1960, by a number of Indonesian Catholic laymen who were eager to take part in building the nation through high education quality. In the event to commemorate Atma Jaya Golden Anniversary on June 2010, we are planning to do a number of activities, which one of them is a live-video teleconference on Climate Change. The topic has been chosen due to global warming has become a major issue in many well developing countries. In the other hand, there is so many developing countries have not put their concern on this issue. Indonesia as a developing country is still facing several problems on how to build a big concern regarding to the issue. As a one of the leading universities in Indonesia to build the nation, we would like to raise this issue and build the international networking and support to help Indonesia in dealing with global warming and climate. Video Teleconference Objectives The objective of video teleconference is to raise the climate change issues in Indonesia especially among academic activist and to deliver suggestion for the government to develop real action to deal with climate change issues. In implementing such idea, the video teleconference speaker will discuss how to take action on climate change and find an approach to give motivation to the academic people to apply the environmental approach suitable with the concept of sustainable development. In Indonesia, there are UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) and protocol Kyoto in dealing with climate change issues, however the implementation of its international law instrument still far beyond people expectation. Although science has already showed that the planet earth were suffering and the growing consensus of people and institution who support climate protection, many in public and the media seemed doubtful about the science for many years. Through this video teleconference, we hope the discussion will raise the issues and develop people and media awareness about the issues. Output of Video Teleconference The output is to have discussion on how to develop people concern about climate change and attract media attention to escort these issues to Indonesian leader. The press release will address those issues and deliver all stake holders, especially government institution. Participant Lecturer, students and Media Speaker Prof. Nicholas Robinson (School of Law Pace University, New York) Prof. Nicholas has developed environmental law since 1969, when he was named to the Legal Advisory Committee of the President’s Council on Environmental Quality. He has practiced environmental law in law firms for municipalities and as general counsel of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He drafted New York’s wetlands and wild bird laws and was inaugurated as the first chairman of both the statutory Freshwater Wetlands Appeals Board and Greenway Heritage Conservancy for the Hudson River Valley. He currently is legal advisor and chairman of the Commission on Environmental Law of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, engaged in drafting treaties and counseling different countries on the preparation of their environmental laws. He founded Pace’s environmental law programs, edited the proceedings of the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is author of several books and numerous articles. He teaches a number of environmental law courses. Professor Robinson served as James D. Hopkins Professor of Lawduring the 1991–1993 academic years. On March 2009, the Pace University Board of Trustees conferred the position of University Professor for the Environment on Nicholas A. Robinson for his significant contribution to scholarship in the field of environmental law, both in the USA and abroad. Amanda Katili (Dewan Perubahan Iklim Indonesia) Amanda Katili Niode, was an environmental worker and a special staff of Environmental Ministry also as a coordinator of communication, information and education field of Indonesian Council for Climate Change. She has been invited for several times as a speaker at international conference and been asked to be a visitor lecture or a researcher at some universities in US such as University of Nevada, Reno; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge. At the moment, Amanda is a special staff of Environmental Ministry. She had her PhD major in Natural Resources and Environment in 1988 at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA. She studied for her Msc major in Ecology and Environment Management at American University, Washington DC, USA and she took her undergraduate biology at Institut Teknologi Bandung. Since 1981, her working experience in natural resources and environment was as a researcher at Assessment’s Council and Technology Application, a director of Environment Consultant Company, a committee of Biodiversity Foundation and a lecture at Post Graduate Program of University of Indonesia. Moreover, her books and articles were published in both national and international journals. Date and Venue Wednesday, 10 February 2010 7.30 – 10.00 am Lo Siang Hien Ginting Room, Yustinus Building 14th Floor, Semanggi Campus, Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia