I have known Ambassador Djundjunan for almost ten years. Pak Bebeb, how I call him, is a senior diplomat from Indonesia. At the time of writing, He is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Republic of Greece in Athen. On 10 March 2025, he was kind enough to teach in my two classes: Border Management, and Delimitation and Demarcation of Maritime Boundaries. It was such a privilege.
The communication was easy. Pak Bebeb is a kind and humble Ambassador to communicate with me via Whatsapp. When I texted him regarding my plan to invite him to my class, he said yes without any hesitation. I texted him on 27 February 2025 and 11 days later he was already in my online class. Pak Bebeb appeared in my class through a zoom meeting.
In additions to students of my two classes, the lecture was also attended by other senior lecturers, Professor Leni Heliani and Dr. Subaryono. I was so touched by their presence. It was certainly not only about attending a lecture. It was about how my senior colleagues are true learners. They don’t stop learning even though they have been teaching for several decades. It seems to me that they have a principle that only those who learn continuously can teach continuously.
Pak Bebeb delivered the lecture with aplomb. He is not only a PhD holder in the law of the sea and maritime boundaries but also a former head of the Indonesian delegates on maritime boundary delimitation. He has both theoretical knowledge and hands on experiences. That made him able to deliver a strong and engaging lecture.
Pak Bebeb also asserted that maritime boundary issue is multidisciplinary and even transdisciplinary. He encouraged everyone to be open for collaboration. In specific, he encouraged collaboration among different institutions in Indonesia in learning the issue. The role of Geodetic and Geomatic Engineering is highly important, he mentioned, and it has been proven by, among other things, my involvement as an expert in the technical team of the negotiation.
We concluded the lecture with good discussion. The two senior lecturers, Prof Heliani and Dr. Subaryono were also active in posting quality questions. Issue on the South China Sea and the role of geospatial experts in maritime boundary delimitation were two important questions that Pak Bebeb answered really well. At around 14.30 WIB, we ended the lecture with excitement. Thank you Pak Dubes Bebeb.