Koen’s Birthday Lecture: a tradition in the making. Today I gave a presentation at Telkom Group’s booth during CommunicAsia in Singapore. The presentation task was modest: introducing Telkom’s platforms for higher education. It coincided with the debut of Telkom Indonesia’s new red-and-white logo, so the occasion felt more symbolic than expected. Our booth stood prominently in Exhibition Hall E at Marina Bay Sands, shared with Telin, Metra, Telkomsel, and other subsidiaries.

The booth launch was led by CIO Indra Utoyo, in the presence of the Ministry of ICT and several distinguished guests. Telkom’s expansion into the TIMES space (Telecommunication, Information, Media, Edutainment, and Services) was reflected in the layout — each theme had its own stand. We also featured traditional art: a live Sasando performance, portrait sketches by Priadji Kusnadi, and techno-illusions by Galih.

I delivered my presentation on the second day, 19 June, wearing a suit and red necktie instead of batik. The session focused on our educational offerings: Q-Learning, Q-Journal, and Qbaca, representing Telkom’s efforts in formal, advanced, and personalised education.

Although the agenda listed me for a single presentation, I spent most of the day — and the following two — fielding questions and engaging with numerous visitors, exhibitors, and potential partners. The level of interest exceeded expectations, and meaningful discussions unfolded around collaboration opportunities.