Poland in Indonesia

Historical view 

Back in the colonial times, a small number of Poles worked in Dutch East India. Their legacy persists in the name of the airport in Medan Polonia (currently a military air base Soewono). The name derives from baron Ludwik Michalski who organized the guard for Sultan Deli in Sumatra. As a repay for his merits, he received in 1872 a concession to locate a tobacco plant. The airport, opened in 1928 on that spot received the name Polonia to commemorate its historical heritage.

In 1914-1938, Józef Zwierzycki conducted scientific research in Dutch East India. As an employee and later a director of the Dutch Geological Survey, he significantly contributed to the discovery of gas and oil deposits, as well as the location of tin, gold and silver. He was the author of the first geological map of the present day Indonesia and later a professor at the Polytechnic in Bandung (currently the Bandung Institute of Technology).

In 1934-1942 in Batavia (the former name of Jakarta) existed a Polish honorary consulate. Its legacy is preserved in the name of the Polonia settlement in East Jakarta.
After the Indonesian independence and the establishment of bilateral relations,  president Sukarno visited Poland in 1959.

In the mid-1960s, a dozen or so Polish Catholic priests came to the archipelago to conduct missionary activities. Some of them still work in the island of Flores.

Political cooperation after 1989

Significant warming of bilateral ties took place after the democratic changes in Poland in 1989 and the subsequent Reformasi transition in Indonesia. In 2003 president of Indonesia Megawati Sukarnoputri visited Poland. She was followed in 2013 by president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. In 2004, president of Poland Aleksander Kwaśniewski visited Indonesia, followed in  2005 by the prime minister Marek Belka and in 2017, the Senate speaker Stanisław Karczewski. There are moreover intensive parliamentary contacts between the legislatures of both countries.

Indonesia is an important economic partner of Poland in Southeast Asia, with significant potential, especially in the sectors of defense, mining (oil and gas, coal), chemical products, energy, agri-food, electronics, maritime transport and environmental protection. The emerging sector of the Polish digital startups also finds its way to Indonesia. From 2016 Poland is allowed to export Polish dairy products to Indonesia, provided that the production plant has been registered in advance. At present, Poland is trying to obtain the possibility of exporting apples, blueberries and meat. More and more Polish entrepreneurs are expressing interest in entering the Indonesian market. A Polish company is planning to open a poultry processing plant near Jakarta. Prime Minerals started zinc mining in Central Sulawesi. Rafako SA, an energy company, constructs a coal-fired power plant project on the island of Lombok. Since 2011, a Polish Business Club has been operating in Jakarta. In November 2018, the Foreign Trade Office of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency was opened, offering assistance to Polish and Indonesian entities seeking partnership, as well as to Indonesian companies planning investments in Poland. 

Links
Polish Business Club in Jakarta (organising networking events for the European and Indonesian businessmen)
European Chamber of Commerce

An important platform of the Polish-Indonesian political cooperation is intercultural and inter-religious dialogue as well as promotion of democratic values in the world. Poland and Indonesia organized three conferences on intercultural and inter-religious dialogue (2011 in Krakow, 2013 in Jakarta and 2015 in Białystok). The next edition is planned for 2020 in Indonesia. 

The Polish educational offer, thanks to its high quality and competitive price, is especially attractive for Indonesian citizens. It also enjoys increasing popularity in the archipelago, with the number of students starting their education in Poland is growing rapidly. A part of them take advantage of the Ignacy Łukasiewicz scholarship program of the Polish government for technical studies. Indonesians form the largest group of beneficiaries of the program, coordinated by the Polish National Academic Exchange Agency. An additional scholarship fund for studies in Poland has been funded by the Indonesian province of West Nusa Tenggara. Polish universities also express interest in cooperation with institutions from Indonesia. Cooperation agreements have been signed, inter alia by the Jagiellonian university,. University of Warsaw, University of Opole, Collegium Civitas, Vistula University, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, as well as Gdynia and Szczecin Maritime Universities. For its part, Indonesia offers scholarship programs: Darmasiswa, which is used by several dozen Poles each year and the Arts and Culture Scholarship. In order to further develop cooperation, the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education is currently determining the content of the agreement with the Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education. 

University diplomas of both countries shall be legalised: the Polish diplomas by the Polish Ministry of Freign Affairs, then stamped by the Indonesian Embassy in Warsaw. Indonesian diplomas are legalized first by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of Indonesia, then by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and finally stamped by the Embassy of Poland in Jakarta. 

Recognition of degrees and qualifications
General information on studying in Poland; a search tool for study majors.
Ignacy Łukasiewicz scholarship for Indonesian citizens

Every year, Poland awards  grants for small and medium development projects in Indonesia. The priority beneficiary region is the province of East Nusa Tenggara, one of the poorest in Indonesia. Funds from the Polish Aid fund were awarded to:

• in 2007-2010 and 2013, the construction and equipment of the hospital in Palangka Raya in Central Kalimantan
• 2011 and 2014 - the purchase of medical equipment and equipment for children from the poorest families in West Timor
• 2012 - renovation of the dormitory in Manufui in West Timor
• 2012 - activation of the poorest inhabitants of the Sridadi village, Jambi, Sumatra, through the plantation of forest
• 2013 - construction of a new boarding house in Mena, West Timor
• 2014 - construction of a female student house for poverty-stricken students in Kupang, West Timor 
• 2015 - support for democracy schools in North Aceh
• 2015 - purchase of water equipment for a school in Opuri, Biak island, West Papua
• 2015 - construction and installation of a solar pump in Welula, West Timor
• 2016 - construction of a nut drying facility and renovation of the agricultural warehouse in Adonara, Flores
• 2017 - construction of a well and a water tank, bringing water to the future kindergarten and boarding school in Kaniti, West Timor
• 2018-2019 - educational project in combating stunting in babies in the Manggarai regency in Flores
• 2019 - renovation and equipment of medical posts, destroyed by an earthquake, in North-East Lombok