RONNY ADHIKARYA, Ph.D.
Biography
Ronny was an award-winning journalist with more than a 50-year career in international development. He has served in various strategic roles in several international organizations, including the World Bank and United Nations/FAO, for which he undertook official missions to more than 50 countries and visited more than 100 countries since 1972.
Known as a global storyteller and author, Dr. Adhikarya is often invited to speak at international fora, and conduct public lectures, on wide-ranging topics. As an author, he had written books and other publications on communications and other subjects that are published in Germany, Italy, England, USA, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, available in English, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Malaysian, and Chinese languages.
Since his retirement in 2003 until 2022, he has given public lectures in at least 28 countries on wide-ranging topics including challenges of digital disruption, application of AI technology, and its impacts on education, business, shared economy, virtual education and communication, tacit knowledge brokering, edupreneurship, generational conflicts, as well as societal and cultural cohesion.
Experience
Originally from Indonesia, Dr. Adhikarya was a Journalist for Daily Indonesia Raya (1968-1971). He began his international career at the East-West Center, Hawaii, USA, in 1972 at the age of 23, where he gained invaluable tacit knowledge in communication and education in international development context, and built an extensive global network with which he leveraged as his expertise throughout his professional career, including a 2 year teaching assignment at the University of Science Malaysia (USM), in Penang, and various international consultancies with UNESCO, UNFPA, Ford Foundation, USAID, and others.
Dr. Adhikarya was appointed as Senior Specialist in charge of global extension, education, and training at the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy for 15 years (1981-1996). He then served as a Manager at the World Bank in Washington D.C., USA, and retired in 2003. He was reappointed as FAO/United Nations Representative with Ambassador-level credentials in Pakistan (2003-2005).
Dr. Adhikarya has also served on executive and advisory boards in Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, Indonesia, the UK, and the US.
Semi-retired, he moved from the Silicon Valley of California to Honolulu, Hawaii in 2021 and now serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii-Indonesia Chamber of Commerce (HICHAM) and the Executive Board of the East-West Center Association (EWCA). He has established the R-Adhikarya “Niche” Awards (RANA) at the East-West Center (EWC), Stanford University, and Cornell University.
The RANA Program is an annual program since 2020 to reward and recognize smart, innovative and competitive young students to learn, explore, and apply disruptive ideas and “niche” innovative thinking in various fields of study and career paths.
Education
- Master’s degree (MPS) in Communication, Cornell University (1972)
- Ph.D. degree in Communication, Stanford University, USA (1981)
other team members
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Prof. Dr. Anwar Nasution
Senior AdvisorProf. Dr. Anwar Nasution is a professor of economics at the University of Indonesia, where he specializes in applied macroeconomic theory, monetary economics, and international economics.
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Teuku Mohammad Hamzah Thayeb
Senior AdvisorAmbassador Teuku Mohammad Hamzah Thayeb has over four decades of experience as a distinguished career diplomat. As a member of the Senior Advisory Council of Kiroyan Partners, he brings his expertise in Foreign Affairs and international issues to our team.
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Rear Admiral (Retired)
Yoost F. Mengko
Senior AdvisorRear Admiral Yoost Frederiek Mengko has held a wide range of field, administrative, and overseas postings for the Indonesian military. He has been involved in numerous overseas conferences and seminars and served on a number of delegations during bilateral and multilateral talks.
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Air Chief Marshall (Retired)
Chappy Hakim
Senior AdvisorAir Chief Marshall (Retired) Chappy Hakim is the former chief of the Indonesian Air Force staff and has extensive experience in the aviation industry. Chappy has written many articles on aviation for the Indonesian mass media and lectures for the master and doctorate programs at the Faculty of Economy, University of Indonesia. He has published a number of books, mostly on Indonesian aviation.