The Indonesian Teachers’ Congress or Kongress Guru Indonesia (KGI) was officially opened on 27 November 2008 by the Director General for Education High Quality and Manpower (PMPTK), Ministry of National Education, Dr. Baedhowi M.Si.; together with Sampoerna Foundation Teacher Institute Director Kenneth Cock at Balai Kartini, Jakarta. Themed “Think Global, Act Local”, the international quality teacher congress was conducted in celebration of National Teachers’ Day. KGI 2008 is the third national teacher congress held by the Sampoerna Foundation Teacher Institute (SF TI) in conjunction with the Ministry of National Education (Depdiknas) and with the support of a number of private companies.

KGI 2008 shed light on teaching and learning processes in today’s era of globalization, increasing understanding of tolerance and diversity to improve social justice within education, and the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education. 

One featured speaker of KGI 2008, Ediberto C.de Jesus said “Indonesia must learn many things from the experience of other countries to achieve today’s education quality standards by formulating effective solutions that are based on its strengths and weaknesses.” He added that, “Acting local should go hand-in-hand with prioritization, finding appropriate resources and solutions that meet local needs. Indonesia must find its own definition of quality education, and also determine the most appropriate way of attaining it”.
Another featured speaker, Libby Cohen, emphasized in her research paper “Diversity, Dream & Destiny” the importance of understanding diversity in Indonesia for individuals and educators alike. “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) which is Indonesia’s national motto promotes an effort to unify people’s differences, which are increasingly more noticable in today’s globalization era. Those overseeing teaching and learning activities need to ensure the incorporation of this principle in the process if Indonesia is to produce the leaders that are competent and morally upright”, said Libby.

In addition, KGI 2008 also invited principals, teachers and local university lecturers  to speak at the event. Another part of the event included the selection of the best research papers, chosen by a panel of education practioners. Of the 100 research papers submitted, 10 resonating with this year’s theme were selected based on how inspiring they were and how teachers from all over Indonesia could replicate the recommendations.

KGI 2008 was held from Thursday to Friday, 27-28 November 2008 at Balai Kartini Jakarta. KGI 2008 is grateful for the support it received from various parties, including sponsors, media partners, individuals and governmental bodies that have participated in KGI 2008.

We would like to thank Exxon Mobil Indonesia (EMOI), Mobil Cepu Ltd., Astra Federal International Finance, ACE Insurance, HM Sampoerna Tbk., Credit Suisse, Hero Tbk, Giant, Guardian, ABC Radio Australia, White Horse, Plaza Senayan, Mal Taman Anggrek, Mal Arta Gading, Siloam Hospitals and PT. Infokom Tekindo (TOSHIBA) for supporting the event. We believe the support of the sponsors led to a highly sucessful interactive congress that will hopefully contribute to the better learning outcomes for young Indonesians.