Jakarta. The University of Indonesia (UI), the country’s oldest higher education institution, recently apologized for inviting a pro-Israel scholar to a discussion, admitting to not having done a thorough background check on the professor.

The university had caught flak for having invited Peter Berkowitz, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, to an orientation discussion meant for UI’s post-graduate students last week. The American scholar has defended Israeli genocide in Gaza, a view that contrasts with Indonesia’s support for Palestinian independence. 

UI’s spokesman Arie Afriansyah wrote in a press statement that the university's pro-Palestine stance remained unchanged. The latest incident had also taught the university to be more careful in inviting international scholars to similar events.

“We admitted to having not been careful. We sincerely apologize to all Indonesians for the mistakes made in the background checks,” Arie said.

Arie told the press that the university only invited Berkowitz to provide his academic insight, saying that he was “among the best names” in his respective field. Berkowitz also remained on topic, according to Arie.

“... UI will remain committed to Indonesia’s efforts in eliminating colonialism,” he said.

Berkowitz’s speech to UI’s post-graduate students revolved around the correlation between education and democracy. He also pointed out Indonesia’s diverse and large population. 

“You need an education that is not only relative to a rights protecting democracy. You need an education that suits extremely diverse people. That’s the challenge of education,” Berkowitz told the forum.

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