Awarded Professorship by Chinese University, Here's Purbaya's Response

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa has revealed the reason he was awarded an honorary professorship from Nankai University in China. Purbaya admitted he does not know the exact reason he was given the title, but said it was awarded because of his contribution to maintaining the Indonesian economy through several policies he issued. “I don’t know why I was given a professorship by China (Nankai University), but it seems because they saw the policies implemented in our country,” Purbaya said during a media briefing at the Ministry of Finance on Friday (26/6/2026). Purbaya received the honorary professorship from Nankai University after his visit to the Bamboo Curtain country to promote yuan-denominated bonds, or Panda Bonds. The honorary professorship was awarded to Purbaya after he gave a public lecture on Indonesia’s economic and fiscal outlook at the campus last week. The honorary professorship was conferred by Professor Chen Yulu, President of Nankai University. “This decision is in recognition of your outstanding leadership, prominent contributions to international public finance, and steadfast commitment to economic development and financial sector stability in the Southeast Asian region,” Chen Yulu stated in an official statement delivered via email by Professor Xinming Li on Tuesday (23/6/2026). The expertise and experience of the Finance Minister are highly aligned with Nankai University’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge research and education in economics, public policy, and finance. The university appreciates that the presence of the Finance Minister as an Honorary Professor will be a great inspiration to the faculty and students of Nankai University, while also strengthening academic and strategic relations between China and Indonesia. As part of the conferment, Purbaya was also invited to visit the Nankai University campus to deliver an honorary lecture, engage in discussions with researchers, and attend the honorary professorship award ceremony. Nankai University stated that the official certificate for the Honorary Professorship will be sent to Purbaya within the next 7 to 14 days.