Sumitro to get doctoral degree

Sumitro to get doctoral degree

JAKARTA (JP): The Erasmus University of Rotterdam in the
Netherlands will award an honorary doctoral degree in November to
a senior Indonesian economist, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, for his
distinguished contribution to economics.

Mohammad Sadli, an economist and a former minister of mines
and energy, said yesterday that according to a statement sent to
him by professor Sijbren Cnossen of the university's school of
economics, the honorary degree will be awarded during the
university's anniversary in Rotterdam on Nov. 8.

Sadli said that Sumitro's contributions to economics in the
form of books and articles -- written both in English and in
Indonesian -- have been appraised by Erasmus University as having
a high standard of scientific analysis.

Last year, Sumitro finished a book called The Evolution of
Economic Thoughts.

Sumitro, born on May 29, 1917, held two ministerial posts
under late president Sukarno -- minister of industry and trade
and minister of finance -- and two ministerial posts under
Soeharto -- minister of trade and state minister of research and
technology.

Sumitro, who has been labeled the "guru of Indonesian
economics", acquired his economics degree from the Netherlands
Economics Institute in 1943 and began his teaching career at the
University Indonesia soon after.

Besides being a member of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences,
he is also an honorary professor in economics at the University
of Indonesia.

Sumitro was a member of the Indonesian delegation to the Round
Table Conference in The Haag in 1947, which produced an agreement
on the withdrawal of Dutch colonial rule from Indonesia.

Sumitro is the founder of the Association of Indonesian
Economists. He is known as an impartial and independent thinker,
according to the statement from the Erasmus University of
Rotterdam. (31/hen)