Recently, Sumanto Al Qurtuby (CSR-CMR Chairman) and Izak Lattu (Chair of the CSR-CMR Academic Council) were invited by the American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF), Indonesia’s Fulbright Commission, to give a talk on the religious landscape and interreligious relations (including interfaith dialogue) in Indonesia for a group of American young graduates who joined the Fulbright ETA (English Teaching Assistant) Program.
The Fulbright ETA program in Indonesia is one of the U.S. State Department’s flagship programs, bringing recent U.S. graduates to Indonesia for education and cultural exchange through English teaching at local high schools (e.g., SMA or SMK), including those under the Ministry of Religious Affairs (e.g., Madrasah Aliyah).
The talks and discussions with the ETAs took place at the Language Training Center, Satya Wacana Christian University (LTC UKSW). According to an AMINEF staff member, 21 young Americans are joining the Fulbright ETA program for nine months in 2026. The staff said that because the program aims to promote mutual understanding and goodwill between Indonesians and Americans, these young Americans need a basic understanding of Indonesia’s religious landscape and social dynamics to navigate interreligious and social situations during their stay.
The 2026 ETAs graduated from multiple U.S. universities and colleges, including UC Santa Cruz, Georgetown University, Arizona State University, Wake Forest University, and Bernard College, among others. They will serve as ETAs at multiple Indonesian high schools in various cities, including Semarang, Magelang, Surabaya, Pekanbaru, Padang, Pontianak, Ambon, and Buru, among others.
