In the years following Indonesian independence, a university dean named Sumitro Djojohadikusumo recognized that sovereignty without intellectual self-sufficiency was incomplete — and so he sent five young economists to Berkeley, funded by the Ford Foundation, to become the minds a new nation would eventually need. Those students, including Emil Salim and Widjojo Nitisastro, returned not merely as academics but as architects of Indonesia's economic governance during the New Order era. It is a reminder that the deepest transformations in a nation's life are often seeded quietly, in classrooms an
Tempo.co English
· Jun 05, 2026
· governance
· 1 min read
High
Sourcing: Verified
How Sumitro Built Indonesia's Economic Elite at Berkeley
◉
Education
1014 related articles
Brown professor exposes 40-student AI cheating scandal, criticizes uni…
Fox News · 100% match
Low CLAT Score? Here's Your Roadmap to Law School Through Alternate Ex…
The Indian Express · 99% match
Universities face pressure over campus antisemitism as royal commissio…
The Guardian · 90% match
UC Faculty Push to Reinstate SAT/ACT Math Requirements After Student P…
Fox News · 90% match
UTA researchers develop noninvasive test to pinpoint epilepsy networks…
News-Medical.net · 90% match
Related Coverage
The Guardian · Jul 21
Academics urge Burnham to adopt £10bn wealth tax on UK's super-rich
Academics propose a 2% wealth tax on UK households exceeding £100m, potentially raising £10bn yearly while affecting few…
Inquirer.net · Jul 21 Cotabato girl dies from rabies; health workers trace funeral attendees for vaccinationA Grade One student in Cotabato died from rabies after possible exposure through animal contact. Health authorities are …
The Energy Mix · Jul 21 Flow Batteries Scale Up: China's Breakthrough Sparks European CompetitionChina deployed the world's first large-scale flow battery project in January, with European developers building larger s…
CBS News · Jul 21 U.S. gas prices surge back to $4 a gallon amid Iran tensionsU.S. average gas prices have climbed back to $4 per gallon, rising 13 cents weekly as geopolitical tensions with Iran es…
Bias & Framing
No detailed analysis data available for this lens. Try re-running lenses from the admin panel.
Geopolitical Impact
🌎
US-backed educational initiative in 1950s Indonesia created technocratic elite who shaped New Order economic policy, establishing American influence over Indonesia's economic governance.
Escalation Risk
low
Confidence
HIGH
Indonesia
United States
Southeast Asia
Soft power projection: Ford Foundation and US educational institutions cultivated Indonesian economic policymakers, creating ideological alignment with Western economic models. This established long-term American influence over Indonesia's development strategy and positioned US-trained technocrats as key decision-makers during Suharto's New Order, strengthening US-Indonesia ties.
Similar to Cold War-era US educational programs (Fulbright, etc.) that cultivated pro-Western elites in developing nations to counter Soviet influence and ensure ideological alignment with American interests.
Economic Lens
📈
Historical investment in human capital development through international education created Indonesia's economic policy leadership, demonstrating long-term returns on educational institution-building and institutional capacity.
Market Signal
neutral
Confidence
MED
Education and Higher Learning
Economic Policy and Governance
International Development
Institutional Capacity Building
Indirect positive impact through improved economic policymaking quality. The Berkeley-trained economists shaped New Order economic policies that affected inflation, growth, and living standards for Indonesian households over decades.
Demonstrates value of targeted human capital investment and international partnerships for institutional development. Relevant for emerging economies considering education funding strategies and brain drain mitigation through capacity building at home institutions.