Sadli Lecture — ANU Indonesia Project online archive

The Sadli Lecture series in economic policy

The Institute of Economic and Social Research (LPEM) of the Faculty of Business and Economics Universitas Indonesia holds an annual lecture series entitled “The Sadli Lecture Series in Economic Policy” in cooperation with ANU Indonesia Project.

The aim of the lecture series is to broaden understanding and stimulate debate among students, academics and policy makers of the key economic policy challenges faced by Indonesia, drawing on the experience of neighbouring countries.

It is named in honour of the late Professor Mohammad Sadli who was probably Indonesia’s most influential policy analyst on economic affairs over the past 40 years.

Each year it is based on a commissioned paper on Indonesia in comparative economic perspective, published each year in the August number of the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies.

Professor Mohammad Sadli ANUA 225-1090 copy.jpg

The late Professor Dr Ir Mohammad Sadli was a senior economist who took an important role in Indonesian economic development, especially in the the New Order era. Sadli’s involvement in government began as a member of President Soeharto’s economic advisory team. During the New Order era, Mohammad Sadli was appointed as Minister of Labor in Cabinet Development I (1971-1973), Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Investment (PMA), and served as Minister of Mining in Cabinet Development II (1973-1978).

He was a well-known economist with a background in engineering science. Previously, Sadli was an expert in engineering. He earned bachelor degree in engineering from Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta and his MSc degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. Turning his interest to the field of economics, he continued his education at Harvard University, USA. After returning to Indonesia, he taught at Universitas Indonesia in 1953 and he also studied there. He received his PhD in Economics from Universitas Indonesia. Professor Sadli also received the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) Universitas Indonesia Lifetime Achievement Award for Economist Profession.

After retiring from the government, he worked as an Adviser for Bapindo (1978), President Commissioner of PT. Aneka Tambang (1979), President Commissioner of PT. Indonesia Air Transport (1979), Member of the United Nation Committee on Development Planning (1984), and the Secretary General of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Indonesia (1982-1985). He was often consulted by the government and other private institutions to provide analysis on Indonesia’s economic development. In 1984, he was appointed as a member of the United Nation Development Planning Committee. He was also a prolific writer, he had written many articles on numerous newspapers and magazines such as Kompas, Sinar Harapan, and Tempo. Professor Dr Mohammad Sadli died at the age of 85 years in January 2008.