I’ve always believed that learning should begin with real-world practice, not just theory. That’s why I often invite practitioners to teach in my classes. This time, I had the honor of welcoming Ambassador Dr. Damos Agusman, Indonesia’s Ambassador to Austria in Vienna, to share his insights and experiences on maritime boundary delimitation.
He spoke to students in two of my classes: Border Management and Delimitation and Demarcation of Maritime Boundaries.
What I really appreciate about Ambassador Agusman is his ability to explain complex topics in a clear and relatable way. As a seasoned diplomat, he has been directly involved in negotiating maritime boundaries with several neighboring countries. He’s also an academic, holding a PhD from a German university and having published in multiple academic journals. This rare combination of practitioner and scholar makes him an ideal guest lecturer.
Ambassador Agusman also has a great sense of humor. He uses clever analogies that make difficult ideas easier to grasp. One of my favorites is when he compared a maritime boundary agreement to a Catholic marriage — it’s meant to last forever! Analogies like this really help students connect with the material.
As someone who’s led Indonesia’s maritime boundary negotiations, Ambassador Agusman brought the theories we discuss in class to life with real-world stories. I personally enjoyed the session, and the students were very engaged — asking lots of questions and clearly having a good time.
It was a fun and meaningful learning experience for all of us.