Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA) - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa met Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore to strengthen cooperation in education, healthcare and investment under the Regional and International Students and Government Leaders Network (RISING) Fellowship program on November 12.
Khofifah said the RISING Fellowship, initiated by the Singaporean government, serves as a strategic platform to deepen ties between Singapore and Indonesia’s regional leaders.
“This program aims to build stronger relations between the Singaporean government and regional leaders in Indonesia,” she said in a statement on Thursday.
During her visit, Khofifah held talks with public and private sector representatives and thanked Lee for his openness in discussing issues related to East Java’s development.
“We discussed many important topics, including education, healthcare, investment and social issues,” she said.
She noted that 32 education representatives from East Java — including high school and vocational school principals, teachers and two Education Office officials — are taking part in training sessions under the RISING Fellowship.
Last week, the provincial government also sent hospital directors and investment officials to join similar sessions as part of the program.
“These training programs are highly beneficial for East Java, especially in strengthening human resources and expanding international cooperation,” Khofifah said.
She thanked Singapore’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Kwook Fook Seng, and Indonesia’s Ambassador to Singapore, Suryopratomo, for supporting the delegation and facilitating the program.
“We hope this initiative will open new opportunities for collaboration and contribute to shared progress,” she said.
Launched in 2018 by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, the RISING Fellowship aims to foster cooperation between Singapore and Indonesia’s provincial governments through leadership development and knowledge exchange.
