Jakarta. Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Stella Christie, outlined her program priorities during her tenure in the newly formed Red and White Cabinet, emphasizing the importance of enhancing human resources across all levels.

“Our focus is on developing human resources and fostering new innovations,” said the Tsinghua University professor following her inauguration at the State Palace on Monday, October 21.

Stella said that human resource development is crucial for supporting government initiatives, noting that President Prabowo Subianto's downstream industrialization program will not succeed without advancements in science and technology.

“Industrialization cannot occur without innovations from science and technology. This is essential and requires collective support,” she explained.

President Prabowo has pledged to continue former President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's downstream industrialization policies, despite facing international opposition, including a lawsuit from the European Union. This resource nationalism policy bans the export of unprocessed mineral ores and focuses on domestic processing to boost the country’s downstream industries. The EU has challenged Indonesia at the World Trade Organization (WTO), arguing that the ban could impact Europe’s stainless steel production.

Stella Christie was born on January 11, 1979, in Medan, North Sumatra. She is recognized internationally as an accomplished academic. Stella graduated from the Red Cross Nordic United World College in Norway, where she received a scholarship from United World College.

She continued her education with a master's degree in psychology from Harvard University, graduating with honors in 2004. Stella then pursued a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at Northwestern University, completing her studies in 2010.

In 2012, Stella became a professor at Swarthmore University in the United States, serving in that role until 2018. She then moved to Tsinghua University in China, where she was appointed a full professor in 2022.