Noted figures pay tribute to economist Arndt

Noted figures pay tribute to economist Arndt

Dadan Wijaksana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Noted economist, friend or mentor, not one person in
attendance at a gathering to pay tribute to the late Australian
economist Heinz W. Arndt could sum him up in just one word.

"To me, he was not only a good economist that I could look up
to, but he was also a friend as well as a mentor," Bank Indonesia
senior deputy governor Anwar Nasution said during his speech.

Anwar delivered his speech in front of hundreds of friends and
associates of the late celebrated economist on Friday afternoon,
25 days after Arndt was killed in a car accident in Canberra at
the age of 87.

The gathering at the Centre for Strategic and International
Studies (CSIS) was organized by CSIS together with the Australian
National University where Arndt had worked as a professor of
economics for more than 50 years.

The presence of prominent figures from various disciplines,
both local and international experts, gave an indication of the
deep respect many people around the world had for the late
professor, who was the founding editor of the Bulletin of
Indonesian Economic Studies (BIES).

The bulletin, which Indonesian economist Thee Kian Wee praises
as "the only internationally recognized journal on the Indonesian
economy at present", was founded and edited by Arndt for its
first 18 years.

As a tribute to Arndt, a CD package was also launched at the
end of the gathering. The CD consists of all the articles ever
published by the quarterly bulletin, covering 36 volumes and 107
issues.

Aside from the experts, many businessmen and high-ranking
officials paid their respects at the gathering, including
Minister of Finance Boediono and Australian Ambassador to
Indonesia Richard Smith. They each delivered a brief speech
remembering their personal and professional relationship with the
economist.

A panel discussion was held during the gathering, featuring
Anwar, well-known Indonesianists Chris Manning, Ross McLeod, Thee
Kian Wee and CSIS economist Tubagus Feridhanusetyawan.

All the panelists took turns talking about Arndt.

Referring to the BIES, Anwar said: "The benefits of the
bulletin were enormous, because it was being read by
policymakers, the business community and served as a reference
for students studying economy."

Manning, a former student of Arndt's, recalled that he was a
hard-working professor.

"Hard work and a high level of discipline, that's how I would
describe him," said Manning, who now works with the National
Development Planning Board (Bappenas).

During the discussion, some participants voiced their
admiration of Arndt, especially in his contributions to
Indonesia.

The CD will be distributed free to any university or
institution in the country that sends an official written
request.

"They can write to CSIS with a formal request for it, and
we'll deliver it free of charge," CSIS executive Hadi Soesastro
said.

The CDs would also be made available to those who would like a
personal copy, Hadi went on, with a price tag of Rp 1 million per
copy. "The proceeds of which will be used for something
beneficial, such as scholarships."