RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Minister of Culture, Fadli Zon, stated the country’s vast cultural wealth positions it to play a strategic role as a global center of civilization. He delivered the statement after being conferred as an Honorary Professor by Universitas Nasional in Jakarta, Wednesday, 11 February 2026.

Minister Fadli described the honorary professorship as both an academic recognition and a responsibility to contribute more to public and intellectual life. “This is an honour that I deeply appreciate and a motivation to contribute further, particularly in leadership within politics, culture, and governance,” he said.

He highlighted Indonesia’s long civilizational history, citing strong archaeological and paleoanthropological evidence across the archipelago. “The evidence clearly shows that Indonesia has been an important center of civilization since ancient times and continues to be so today,” Fadli stated.

According to him, Indonesia’s cultural reality goes beyond conventional notions of diversity. “The term ‘diversity’ is no longer sufficient; what defines Indonesia today is mega-diversity,” he said.

He pointed to Indonesia’s population of more than 285 million people, its hundreds of ethnic groups and languages, and its vast geographic spread as defining characteristics. Fadli said these factors make Indonesia a uniquely rich and complex cultural nation.

Fadli emphasized that this mega-diversity should be seen as a strategic asset in global cultural discourse. “Our cultural wealth is extraordinary and inexhaustible, and it gives Indonesia the potential to become a global center of culture and civilization,” he said.

He also underscored the importance of sustaining intellectual traditions through continuous writing, debate, and critical reflection. “If ideas from the margins are not written and discussed, they risk being lost,” Fadli conveyed.

On cultural policy, Fadli stressed that promoting Indonesian culture internationally is a constitutional mandate. “We must advance, promote, and diplomatically present Indonesian culture on the world stage, and with stronger cultural awareness, we can build an ‘Indonesia Wave,’” he said.