On February 26th, 2024, the Canadian Ambassador to Indonesia, H.E. Mr. Jess Dutton, gave a public lecture at UIN Sunan Ampel (UINSA) Surabaya.
During the lecture, Mr. Dutton explained that Canada has had a partnership with Indonesia for 72 years. He stated that the two countries have maintained positive relations, including as multilateral partners. Mr. Dutton revealed that Canada has significant investment interests in Indonesia and has provided development assistance to Indonesia.
Mr. Dutton added that the partnership with Indonesia focuses on mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts, promoting environmentally friendly economic growth, and advancing gender equality. This visit to Surabaya was Mr. Dutton’s first official trip outside Jakarta since presenting his credentials to President Joko Widodo in December 2023. During his stay, he met with local communities and visited development projects.
The UINSA Chancellor, Prof. Akh. Muzakki, M.Ag., Grad.Dip.SEA., M.Phil., Ph.D stated that UINSA is open to academic collaboration with Canada, including student exchange programs. Mr. Dutton acknowledged that Canada has good relations with Islamic universities and mentioned the opportunity to collaborate with Islamic universities in Indonesia.
