Jakarta, 10 September 2026. The Master of Business Administration Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (MBA FEB UGM), attended the Reception of the 11th ASEAN Norway Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee, an occasion that brought together representatives and stakeholders from ASEAN and Norway to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between both sides.
MBA FEB UGM was represented by Prof. Amin Wibowo, S.E., M.B.A., Ph.D. and Luluk Lusiantoro, S.E., M.Sc., Ph.D., members of the MBA FEB UGM Board of Directors, and was joined by Gumilang Aryo Sahadewo, S.E., M.A., Ph.D., Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Partnership, and Alumni Affairs.
The reception formed part of broader efforts to strengthen the ASEAN Norway partnership. On 10 September 2026, ASEAN and Norway also convened the 11th ASEAN Norway Joint Sectoral Cooperation Committee Meeting at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening the Sectoral Dialogue Partnership. The meeting addressed cooperation across a range of sectors, including energy, trade, investment, education, and the green economy.
During the occasion, Ambassador of Norway to ASEAN, Mariann Ruud Hagen, expressed her appreciation to the Philippines as Chair of ASEAN 2026, particularly for the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together” and its leadership in upholding ASEAN unity, centrality, and cooperation amid a challenging global environment.
Ambassador Hagen also underscored the importance of the ASEAN Norway partnership in navigating increasingly complex global dynamics, including strategic competition, conflicts, trade challenges, and technological developments. Against this backdrop, she emphasized that countries can achieve more through cooperation and collective efforts.
Although ASEAN and Norway may appear different in many respects, Ambassador Hagen highlighted their shared approaches to cooperation, particularly through dialogue, pragmatism, patience, consensus building, and a willingness to find common ground.
“ASEAN is famous for consensus-building. Norway is famous for skiing. Both require patience, balance, endurance, and a willingness to keep moving forward when conditions become difficult,” said Ambassador Hagen.
These remarks reflected the importance of perseverance and the ability to maintain balance in building long term cooperation. These values are also relevant to efforts to strengthen ASEAN Norway relations through various forms of collaboration in education, sustainability, human capital development, and innovation.
In the context of ASEAN Norway cooperation in education, the ASEAN Master in Sustainability Management represents one of the collaborative initiatives that brings together regional ASEAN perspectives with Norway’s academic expertise and experience in sustainability.
The double degree program is jointly delivered by MBA FEB UGM and the University of Agder (UiA), Norway. The program is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and competencies needed to address sustainability challenges while promoting responsible business practices.
The Embassy of Norway in Jakarta hopes that the ASEAN Master in Sustainability Management will continue to develop young ASEAN leaders who are able to apply sustainability principles across government, business, and society. The program is also expected to further strengthen networks among participants from ASEAN countries while fostering long term relations between ASEAN and Norway.
Reporter: Azzumar Putra
Editor: Ayu Aprilia
