Interacting with alumni in Jogjakarta and Delhi

The recent inaugural conference of Special Education Professionals’ Association (Asosiasi Profesi Pendidikan Khusus Indonesia) held in Jogjakarata, Indonesia was inspired by Flinders University hosting 25 special education academics and government officers in 2011, as part of an Australia Award Fellowship program.

Flinders Associate Professor Kerry Bissaker, who hosted that fellowship, another in 2013 and has sustained her engagement with the special and inclusive education academics during this time and presented a keynote address at the inaugural conference.

The conference was attended by more than 800 people from across Indonesia – including 1975 Flinders University Bachelor of Arts graduate Mr Suranto, now aged in his 80s but still overseeing a special school he helped established in Batam.

Associate Professor Bissaker also travelled to New Delhi, India, to present with one of her PhD students Ms Divya Dawadi at the 5th International Conference on Inclusive Education, hosted by the Asian Centre for Inclusive Education.

This centre was established by another alumni from Flinders University, Professor Mohammad Tariq Ashan, who completed his Master of Special Education at Flinders in 2002 and was taught by Associate Professor Bissaker.

On his return to Bangladesh, Professor Ashan was instrumental in developing the Asian Centre for Inclusive Education and the Asian Journal of Inclusive Education.

He is based in the Institute of Education and Research at the University of Dhaka and continues in the role of secretary general for the Asian Centre for Inclusive Education and editor of the Asian Journal of Inclusive Education.

Posted in
Uncategorised