Jakarta, 17 July 2020 – Firda Firdaus has been appointed as the state coordinator for SA, NSW & Queensland to consult for the state-based boards of the Indonesian Diaspora Business Council (IDBC). IDBC is a non-profit organization that promotes economic development and opportunities for the Indonesian diaspora community through business networking.
Based in Adelaide, Firda will be working with the regional director for Australia, Astrid Vasile (Perth), and the vice-director, Diski Naim (Melbourne), to manage Australia-Indonesia consortium programs, in particular, to maximize the business potential of Indonesian diaspora and Australian businesses with business enterprises in Indonesia.
Firda Firdaus is a retired academic with a broad professional network in Adelaide and beyond, currently working as a language and cultural consultant. A graduated of the University of Wisconsin, Madison in Linguistics, Firda went on to teach at the University of Hawaii-Manoa in 1980. She later taught at several universities in the USA and Indonesia before relocating to Australia to teach at Flinders University in 1989 where she worked for over 25 years.
Currently, Firda manages a number of business interests, including boutique accommodation. Firda previously served as the President of the Australian Indonesian Association SA, which was awarded the prestigious Governor’s Multicultural Award during her presidency. Firda was also a founding member of the Indonesian Diaspora Network and a founder of the Australian Society of Indonesian Language Educators. Recipient of several Fulbright scholarship awards, Firda also received an academic excellence award for her service and dedication from Flinders University in SA, Australia.
Firda enjoys fostering creativity and innovation, particularly in the areas of business, cuisine, design, and lifestyle. Firdaus’ engagement with IDBC aims to empower the Indonesian diaspora community’s commerce and business dealings; assist its members to promote their trade, products, and services globally; and to connect industries and businesses in Australia with their counterparts in Indonesia.
I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my thanks to Mr. Edward Wanandi, Chairman of IDBC, and to the entire IDBC global team, especially in the Australia region, for their dedication and hard work in ensuring an effective and successful transition.
We would like to congratulate Firda on her appointment to this critical position and welcome her to the IDBC team. Firda can be contacted through firdacreativea8@gmail.com and/or https://www.idbizcouncil.com/australia-region.
Fify Manan
President
Indonesian Diaspora Business Council