Jakarta, January 15, 2023 — Cornell University has announced that Ms. Tamar Law of the USA is the winner of the 2023 R-Adhikarya ‘Niche’ Award (RANA). Conducted annually since 2020, the award program grants scholarships to RANA Winners at three world-class educational institutions in the United States: the East-West Center, Stanford University, and Cornell University.
(Photo: Cornell University’s website).
Tamar, a Ph.D. student at Cornell’s Global Development Department, has been selected for her research on the climate justice dimensions of climate mitigation to enhance blue carbon governance and promote low-carbon development in Indonesia.
Blue carbon refers to coastal ecosystems, such as mangroves, with manageable and atmospherically significant carbon stocks. Indonesia, with over 17,000 islands, is home to the planet’s largest and most productive blue carbon ecosystem. With 17% of global blue carbon reserves, Indonesia has a significant opportunity to leverage the blue carbon ecosystem in combating climate change.
Despite having more than a quarter of the world’s mangroves, Indonesia has lost over 40% of its mangrove coasts since the late 1990s due to shrimp aquaculture development and deforestation. The loss of mangrove ecosystems has made Indonesia’s coastline vulnerable to climate shocks and has also contributed to significant carbon emissions, according to Tamar.
The Indonesian Government has announced an ambitious plan for the world’s most extensive coastal restoration and blue carbon project. The Mangroves for Coastal Resilience initiative aims to restore over 1.55 million acres of degraded mangrove coastline by 2025. This project will undoubtedly be a significant milestone in the global conservation effort and set an example for other countries to follow.
With support from the RANA Prize, Tamar plans to conduct field research in Indonesia to trace local mangrove ecosystems’ scientific, economic, and political practices as an economic development strategy.
Tamar said, “Climate management can exacerbate existing inequalities as countries in the Global South are increasingly forced to shoulder the burden of both climate shocks and responsibility for climate mitigation.” She hopes her work can identify ways to promote climate justice and resilient climate futures for all.
At Cornell, the RANA Prize recognizes graduate students in Global Development who pursue innovative and niche thinking in their studies and careers. Tamar has been awarded the 2023 R-Adhikarya ‘Niche’ Award, in addition to other Cornell scholarships, for a total number of US$65,340.
Tamar’s academic accomplishments speak volumes about her unwavering confidence and dedication. Graduating Summa Cum Laude from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts degree was just the beginning of her journey. She went on to pursue her master’s degree at the University of Oxford in the UK, where she graduated with distinction. During her undergraduate studies, Tamar conducted research work at the School for International Training (SIT) in Madagascar. Having been actively involved in numerous academic and extracurricular activities, internships, and producing both academic and non-academic publications, reflects Tamar’s confidence and commitment towards excellence.
Dr. Ronny Adhikarya, the RANA Founder, congratulated Tamar and commended her for addressing an important issue that is also a top priority of the Indonesian Government. As a former Representative and Senior Official of the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO), Dr. Adhikarya has been actively involved in climate change mitigation and the sustainable development of land and ocean resources globally, particularly in Indonesia.
He expresses his gratitude to Cornell University’s Department of Global Development for their discerning selection of an exceptional 2023 RANA Winner.
See also:
https://cals.cornell.edu/news/2022/12/rana-prize-winner-tackles-blue-carbon-issues-indonesia
About R-Adhikarya “Niche” Award (RANA)
The RANA Scholarship Program since 2020 has 2 Winners at Cornell Univ., 1 Winners at Stanford Univ., and 3 Winners at the East-West Center (EWC).
The R-Adhikarya “Niche” Award (RANA) is a token of appreciation for individuals who have demonstrated innovative, ‘niche’ thinking in their studies and careers. Awarded annually since 2020, it enables young visionaries with a learning-oriented growth mindset to study at one of three world-class educational institutions in the United States: the East-West Center (EWC), Stanford University, and Cornell University.
These institutions were part of Dr. Ronny Adhikarya’s academic journey. He attended Cornell for his master’s degree and Stanford for his Doctoral degree, obtaining a fellowship from each university. Dr. Adhikarya then worked as a research staff member at the EWC before continuing his extensive career in international development assistance. Over more than 45 years, he worked at the World Bank in Washington DC, USA, the United Nations/FAO in Rome, Italy, and with many well-respected institutions in other countries.
Dr. Adhikarya and his wife, Mee-Ching, offer RANA in gratitude and see it as their global contribution to the education sector, especially in Indonesia. Kiroyan Partners (KP), a leading public affairs consulting firm, has agreed to partner in this endeavor by providing support to coordinate and implement the communication, publicity, and marketing activities of RANA, as well as coordinating and maintaining the internal communication platform for the RANA’s International Selection Committee (ISC) members. KP believes this initiative aligns with its commitment to support human capital development in Indonesia.
More information on RANA Prospectus can be found here.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Verlyana “Veve” Hitipeuw (veve.hitipeuw@kiroyan-partners.com) and/or
Made Intan Iswari Satria (intan.iswari@kiroyan-partners.com)
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RANA 2023 Winner Press Release (English)
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