Wednesday, March 04, 2009 – Jakarta Indonesia – Universitas Pelita Harapan

An amazingly eye-opening introduction to Indonesia. It seems Indonesia is not on many people’s radar. Often the residents are reduced to explaining that it is between Singapore (4m inhabitants) and Australia (20m inhabitants). Yet Indonesia is the 4th largest nation in population in the world! (225m!). In size, as Rector Jonathan Parapak says, “We stretch from CA to NY….except most of our nation is water!” The vitality of Jakarta is amazing. Like many developing nations there is a wide range of wealth with amazing shopping centers like the best or better than those in the US adjacent to humble stall-shops.

I met Sheldon Nord (President of UPH…”ooh-pey-ah”) at 7:30 and chatted in the beautiful Imperial Aryaduta Hotel and Country Clubbefore the driver took us to the home of James Riady, founder and CEO of the Lippo Group and UPH. I enjoyed a delicious breakfast with James, Sheldon, and Jonathan in James' sunlight sitting room looking out on his beautiful garden and inlet. James’s father, Mochtar (in his 70s) is still very active. James and his family comprise the “board” of UPH, along with SPH the K-12 sister entity. James leads Bible studies weekly in his home and for businessmen in an adjacent city. He also speaks in the UPH chapel regularly, and attends seminary for his own edification. He’s energetic and visionary. I’m reminded of Pat Robertson and of Michael Louis (in R.S.A.). The university has arisen in a only a decade and a half from nothing to 10,000 students, occupying prime real estate in their own 9 story building. James operates a series of hospitals (Siloam), and bookshops among other ventures. His generosity and passion for Christian education are the driving force for this remarkable institution. The facilities are simply put, the best. 65% of the students are Christian or Catholic/Christian. 20% are Buddhist, 14% are Muslim. With 700 FT (or semi-FT) faculty, they are the largest Christian institution in the country. Their founding Rector Oentoro was sadly afflicted with a stroke 4 years ago, at which time Jonathan Parapak was called on to step in as Rector alongside Sheldon as President. Jonathan was the founding CEO of InduSat the largest telecommunication company in Indonesia and member of government….a wonderful Christian with a sterling reputation for integrity.

UPH has connections with Biola and Wheaton…3 of James’ children have attended these. Clyde Cook and Duane Litfin have given recent commencement addresses, and Stan Jones (Wheaton) has visited too. UPH has a second campus in Surabaya…a “small town” of only 12 million compared to Jakarta’s 17million! They intend to launch campuses in 3 more cities….and perhaps Singapore.

Among the concerns James expressed at breakfast are the need to hire qualified faculty…including especially those who can teach in English. In fact the goal is someday that ALL their classes will be offered in English. This reinforces the already very strong need expressed by so many other CCCU Affiliates for help in identifying such faculty among retirees and sabbaticants as well as recent graduate school graduates. The other need expressed was that they want to model Christian liberal arts to other institutions in their nation. We had a good discussion about what the “liberal” (or as I call them, the “liberating” ) arts really are. There is obviously a solid appreciation for how this is different from mere training and it seems to be their real desire to model this in whatever appropriately contextualized form it might take for their circumstances.
We also discussed the BKPTKI, the Indonesian CCCU, with 35 member Christian colleges/universities in Indonesia…spread across 4 islands including Celebes and Java and Borneo. While they vary in size from 11,000 to 600, they all share a desire to cooperate. I was fortunate that their planning committee was meeting together at lunch. So after a tour of the magnificent facilities I met with leaders from 6 of these schools. But first the tour…

The campus is brand-new and amazing. It would be the envy of any American CCCU institution. Housed in multiple skyscrapers jointly shared with some commercial ventures including a wonderful bookstore (James’ chain), it has a 3 level library, classroom auditorium for 1000….I observed a final exam being taken there by the 800 students in the New Testament course required of all students. The covered “play space” and beautiful track, were adjacent to the newest building for the Business School. The medical school is down the road adjacent to the Mochtar Riady Institute for Nano-technology that does world-class research in cancer and uses the Siloam Hospital for practica. Susan Tai is president.

Meeting with the BKPTKI, I heard a list of concerns and ideas they had prepared in an earlier committee gathering:
Church relations, 2. Competency/quality control, 3. Management issues, 4. Tuition/pricing…they are all 95% tuition dependent.
Among the ideas offered were:
Exchange of professors and students (Retirees and Sabbaticants…who could teach AND give shared workshops to all BKPTKI members especially on faith learning integration and the liberating arts. 2. Workshopsand Seminars ….eg. on the use of technology, 3. “Accreditation” help…the idea of informal academic audit teams and even their role in certifying some third kind of CCCU “Associate Membership” was well received. (I urged the non-affiliates to consider joining CCCU) 4. BKPTKI hosting of “service learning projects” from CCCU schools, 5. Some scholarships for their students to earn graduate degrees in the US….even as UPH gives free tuition for MAs at UPH to students graduated from other BKPTKI schools. 6. Workshops on teaching for some of the 765 lecturers being trained by UPH to staff its new program of education for the poorer students in their own communities across the nation. 7. BKPTKI providing a “critical mass” for offering graduate degrees in Indonesia…perhaps hosted at UPH.
I very much appreciated the time these leaders invested in producing this list and believe some of them can be implemented soon.

Sinta and driver returned me to my hotel…and an hour later, she and Daniel Park and his wife Kathy fetched me again with a driver, and we were off to the heliport for a wonderful birds-eye trip to downtown Jakarta…with a few extra turns over the city to let us see.We landed on the downtown branch of my hotel the Aryaduta, and another driver whisked us to the large shopping mall where I shopped for family and enjoyed the company of these three great young people. There’s nothing like hanging out with young people to keep one young. So it was a blessing to me…..I was grateful to them for taking their time to spend with me. After shopping the driver took us to a great Indonesian restaurant, then after satay, fish, Indonesian fried rice, and much much more, he whisked us again back to Lippo Karawaci where UPH is actually located….

What an energizing day for me. I thank God for blessing me with such exciting opportunities, and pray I may contribute in some small way to so many good people here and elsewhere I have visited in their passionate pursuit of distinctively Christian higher education.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009 – 40,000 feet above Borneo

I thoroughly enjoyed the apartment at Tokyo Christian….I could live there for months! Mifumi says it’s only used a few times a year…so maybe I should come back! The campus was so beautiful…imagine what it will be like in a few weeks as the cherry blossoms join the plum blossoms and the lawns turn green and the foliage comes on. The apartment felt like a bird’s nest with lots of light….and I’d thoroughly enjoy worshiping in that chapel!

Mifumi arrived at 8am sharp and Matsu (?) drove me to Narita. Again we took a back way….could never find it myself…so many many turns on very small roads! Arrived and checked in and cleared security and had a full two hours to wait at the gate…..but I did buy toothpaste because security here didn’t like the fact that my container was 130ml and only 100ml are allowed. When I pointed out that it was obviously more than half gone that didn’t seem to phase the young lady! I could tell she was a little disgusted because she had to go through my toiletry kit….handling every piece….and I wasn’t helping. First item taken from me in 3 weeks! Typically as I have travelled, they do not ask you to remove your shoes, or even remove laptops from containers….and the items go through xray pretty fast. I could have left the campus an hour later than I did but….better safe than sorry.

We are banking left at 40,000 feet. We passed over Manila an hour ago. Now the video map says Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) is an hour flight directly to my right. And Singapore perhaps another hour in a straight line beyond that. As I look down from 7 miles up, straight into the sparkling sun-drenched white-capped South China Sea I feel a little like I did yesterday flying into Japan. I know that many Americans flew over these waters while I was in college…some of them my friends. And many gave their lives under the clouds I can see at a distance over Vietnam. The world is small and all the fighting at such cost and such distances is so tragic beneath a bright sun like today’s. Below me is mysterioius Borneo. A place thought of as the end of the world….but must a 15 minute island as we hop over. I’ll pass over the equator in justa a few minutes too. I’ve gone from roughly 35 degrees north at home to 35 degrees south in Bolivia, to 60 degrees north in Helsinki back down to 10 degrees north in India to 35 degrees north again in Seoul, down to Taipei, north to Japan, and now crossing the equator for the third time this trip to 10 degrees south. I will cross the equator 4 times in this trip…and will cross a Tropic 11 times….It is a small world…and I still marvel at jets. This huge 747 hunk of metal travelling 567mph 7 miles up…and I even have my shoes off. I know I know….it’s old hat. My first 707 ride was in August of 1962….47 years of jet travel for me. And yes I do understand the Bernoulli Principle that makes it all work. But I confess I am often still amazed….or maybe it’s because I DO understand it that I’m amazed. (The northwest corner of Borneo down there is making my ride pretty bumpy right now! Seat belts called for….what a fragile thing we are this high…and how very much we rely on the predictability of nature.
I watched The Day the Earth Stood Still, part of Madagascar, and all of Changeling……and reading Paulo Coelho’s Alchemist…..interesting that Bill Clinton was seen reading it, Julia Roberts, and now me. One of the cabinet of UCL in Quito is nephew to Coelho….the famous Brasilian author. Even more seat belt warnings…..pretty bumpy and I can see they are altering course to avoid worse.

I’m realizing the end of my trip is in sight. I’m looking forward to being with Richard and Tickey in Sydney. Will stop there at Wesley Institute as well as Southern Cross, so that will bring my total of schools visited to 16. I will no doubt always remember this trip…perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime race around the world. But it’s not been as hard as I thought. Everyone says I must be tired….but the new places and people energize me. I remain surprised by the homogeneity of cultures. Apart of the “hieroglyphics everywhere” Inzai City (the real place where TCU is located) and the shopping mall in particular felt like Norfolk or any other major US city. Kinda sad don’t you think? With everyone speaking English it hardly takes any cultural adjustment to travel anymore…..did I mention that even the smells seem the same everywhere? We’ve left the Borneo coastline and are slicing directly across the country now…but still north of their mountains….I guess THAT is not a place we’d like to end up by accident! Back to the book!

My arrival in Jakarta was unique! I stayed on the 747 for a few minutes since I hadn’t filled out my immigration and customs papers ahead of time and I figured there’d be a long line anyway. So when I finally left the plane….last one off….I found myself at the end of a long line for visas. Within 60 seconds a man came down the line with a sign with my name on it. He asked for my passport and immigration form and took off to the front of the line. I was a little nervous that I had just forfeited my passport to a stranger….but kept reminding myself he DID have my name. Only a couple minutes later a woman employee motioned to me that the man was motioning for me to come ahead. I moved ahead of 50 people….he motioned me to the exit xray machine and the three operators didn’t even bother to get out of their seats while my bag ran through. We walked into the baggage handling basement (a first for me!) where a van was waiting with two men who loaded my bags, my friend and I jumped in to and we sped out of the handling area and across the airport runways. As we drove I wondered….have I been kidnapped…like the Westmont prof who disappeared one summer never to be seen again while visiting Jakarta! I asked if my new guide was from the university and he seemed to say yes and when I mentioned Sheldon Nord, he asked if was a friend. I was somewhat reassured….but soon we were driving down a taxi way directly toward a waiting helicopter with blades turning. I said to myself, that the van was probably going to turn and exit the airport for the hotel right before the chopper. I decided that if they tried to get me into the chopper I’d ask a LOT of questions first! But to my surprise we wheeled around and pulled up directly by the chopper. My friend jumped out and began fetching my bags….as I started to ask where I was going…Sinta Lucia a young well-dressed woman walked over to me, handed me her card (which DID say Universitas Pelitas Harapan!) and said “Welcome Drl Mannoia, please follow me.” So we jumped in the chopper while the men from my van loaded my bags and the 2 person crew already on board revved the engine. We were airborne within 60 seconds. As we travelled, Sinta asked if it was my first visit to Indonesia. I said I’d never been welcomed this way and could use the airport friend anytime….Mr. Wrasto! I snapped a few pix, and as we approached a center with multiple skyscrapers, Sinta pointed out UPH buildings….both very tall and marked with the initials of the university. We landed, my bags were whisked to another black limo, while a distinguished man (turns out he’s a founder of UPH, and major bank owner with whom I’ll have lunch tomorrow) greeted me and welcomed me to Indonesia and UPH, then jumped into the chopper himself and was gone. Within 2 minutes my bags were being removed by the bellmen at the Imperial Aryaduta Hotel and Country Club. I was offered a lime drink, was checked in, and was in my room. The total time from walking off the 747 and walking into my room 15 miles away…having never handled my bags, was 15 minutes. Now THAT’S the way to travel!

Monday, March 2, 2009 – Taipei to Tokyo and Tokyo Christian University

Today is my sister Sharla’s birthday! Happy Birthday Sharla! I called and sang happy birthday to her…but no one was home….just as well with my singing!
It wasn’t as hard to get up at 4am as I feared. And Brother Shen was very prompt…rolling in at 4:59 to the Grand Hotel where I stood alone in the dark balmy breeze of 75 degrees. Since Brother Shen doesn’t speak English we drove in silence for 30 minutes to Taipei airport….thank you for your kindness to me brother!

I did not need to leave so early. Nothing was open except Starbucks….so I drank a steamer and ate a blueberry bagel…..it’s really hard to cut back on food when the only kind available that you recognize is fattening! This trip with three solid meals a day and no exercise has NOT been kind to my waistline! Can you believe there REALLY is a flight insurance company called "Far Glory Life Insurance?"

Did a little browsing but prices are high. Chatted on SKYPE and boarded early. I had to have my Advantage number put in again….this is frustrating when the whole point of this circuitous routes has been to stay on One World.
The flight of 2 ½ hours was pleasant with bright sunshine in the window. As I stared down at the blue Pacific, I couldn't help remember the American pilots who flew these airspaces during WWII. It would have been a frightening place I suppose.

I read the paper….disgusted with Joyce Mujuru VP of Zimbabwe who has been trying to sell $15m in diamonds and gold nuggets stolen from the people of Zimbabwe and Congo. She’s a crook…and may she pay for her crimes! She and “Botox Bob” as the paper described this youthful looking 85 year old senile dictator who has ruined the country in Africa I love. Move over Bernie Madoff….today it’s Stanford….embezzling $8b by a Ponzi scheme. Will it never end? DJIA at 7000? That’s 50% loss since the heydays last spring of 14,000. I guess it’s consulting for THIS retiree for some time to come in order to avoid dumpster diving!

Randall Short met me at Narita….an American Th.D. from Harvard Div. Great guy…from Alabama, married a Japanese lady, did mission work out here, did seminary here at Tokyo Christian and now teaches here. Did Japanese in college in the US so he’s real asset and his dean and president appreciate him.

Stopped at a shopping center for a quick look and a quick bite….seems just like Norfolk, LA, or any other major US city. Again the homogeneity of culture is astounding to me this trip. Although the plastic displays of each menu item at each restaurant....no matter how helpful, was VERY different....reminded me of the food service sample plates at the college cafeteria...except THESE were works of ART!

The Sushi bar with a conveyor belt was a pretty efficient way to eat...and spend beaucoup bucks eating I BET!

Very impressed with TCU campus…it is absolutely gorgeous. Spacious, inviting, beautiful attention to aesthetics…..most impressed with the chapel and the cultural center. I was lucky to visit the chapel when someone was practicing their pipe organ....wished I could stay for a service! And the stained glass and high ceiling with stylized circles was wonderful.

How can a school with 100 students (college and seminary combined) manage such facilities? They are registered with the government and receive considerable financial help from them. (Ironic isn’t it that a government of a nation with 1% Christians would support a Christian university, when the US government bends over backwards NOT to support religious higher education!) But mostly, the sale of their downtown Tokyo campus 15 years ago at the height of the bubble, must have generated huge profits.
Randall, and then President Masanori (Kurasawa) and Dean Takanori (“Nori”) Kobayashi explained that their current challenge is in some ways like that of Christ’s College…namely the relationship with the government. Tho TCU is registered and accredited…that’s how they receive subsidy….and are the only evangelical university among the 5 private schools that ARE registered and accredited….they had a recent accreditation review and were told they must separate their seminary and college more. These two are considered different TYPES of schools (one academic and the other a training institution) so they fall under different guiding rules. Eg. Seminary and college students should not be in the same classes. Apparently the solution will be to reconstitute their seminary as a graduate school of theology. But of course that may raise questions among church leaders who really want practical workers….eg. pastors.

There is also need for credentialed Christian faculty….especially if they are going to need to launch a “Graduate School.” But they will need some at least who are also competent in Japanese….that’s a tall order…credentialed, graduate faculty, Christians who speak Japanese!
Another need is then to help pastors and other constituents to understand Christian liberal arts enough to see that it’s really NOT a sell out either to academe OR to liberalism. Training workshops in F/L integration would be helpful.

Nori confirmed that web based information about faculty, about other school programs that might lead to sister school relationships would be helpful. He also mentioned the value of the 10 day leadership “tour” Erma Williams led to RSA…said more like that would be helpful for senior leadership. It’s a good idea…and one I had not heard.

We enjoyed a very special meal of Japanese sushi/sashimi….I ate sea creatures I’d probably not want to meet if they were alive. The toughest was the raw sea urchin….hmmmmm. The golden caviar, the crunchy roe, the raw salmon, the unknown fish in the soup….all tasty and filling.
Randall had joined Nori and Masanori and I for the dinner so we enjoyed telling tales of food, then talking about liberating arts. I felt warmly received, and felt I have now have 3 new brothers in the Kingdom. Thank you Lord for the privilege of meeting these great people.