Thank you to our distinguished guests and to our industry leads, our education stakeholders and of course, our alumni, and friends, welcome.
I stand before you as an alumnus too, of the University of New South Wales.
And occasions like tonight allow me to look back on my time on campus where I did study economics but remember more the traditions and campus life along with the students and teachers.
Whether it was the famous jacaranda trees and their purple blooms, heralding whether you would pass or fail your nearing exams, the legendary pranks of Foundation Day.
The famous cats on campus, protecting students from mice and other pests.
The secret underground tunnel which was said to start just up near the IT centre.
Or the clock on the Library Lawn that was designed to be unbreakable, broken soon after installation by some engineering students testing the claim.
That's the UNSW I remember, and maybe some of you here remember too.
And for all those who went to different universities, you may be thinking back to your own time, and the strange and wonderful stories unique to your own experience as a student in Australia.
Because studying in Australia is more than just about receiving a quality education.
It's also about what we provide: a distinctly Australian experience, a window into our culture: stories, and connections, that endure long after we leave campus.
It's this exchange that gives us an edge in global education and attracts students from around the world.
Including a record number of Indonesian students, more than 25,000 in 2025 alone.
Students that will return here and become part of a vibrant network of more than 200,000 alumni and remain connected to Australia.
Like the 16 Australian alumni currently part of President Prabowo's cabinet, ncluding Minister for Communication and Digital, Meutya Hafid, who is also a UNSW alum and who still calls Australia her second home.
Alumni across business, academic, and media, multi-generational alumni who sent their children and even grandchildren to study in Australia too.
Like the Sariaatmadja family who run Emtek, Indonesia's media, healthcare, and technology empire.
Eddy and his brothers Darwin and Fofo studied at UNSW and then sent their children to study in Australia too.
You all embody what we say when we talk about the deep trust and friendship Australia and Indonesia share, and the warmth and strength of our bilateral relationship.
And as we continue to grow our bilateral relationship under our new Jakarta Treaty, education remains critical to allow us to work together in ways that benefit both nations.
To accelerate the exchange of knowledge, technology and innovation.
To help create the highly skilled workforce for future industries.
And most of all to connect our people.
Through stories and myths, of purple trees and tunnels and clocks, and the experiences and friendships that will last a lifetime and which we celebrate tonight.
Thank you.