Papua and West Papua have numerous influential figures contributing to the development in Indonesia, including Balthasar Kambuaya. He was appointed as the Minister of Environment by Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2011. Get more informed about him in the following highlights.
Born in West Papua
Prof. Dr. Balthasar Kambuaya, M.B.A. was born in Ayamaru, Maybrat, West Papua, on September 9, 1956. He married to Yuliana Mosso and they have five children, namely Mayland Kambuaya, Edita Kambuaya, Abraham Kambuaya, David Kambuaya, and Stenly Kambuaya.
In 1969, Balthasar Kambuaya studied at the Christian Education Foundation Kambuaya Elementary School in Ayamaru, Maybrat, West Papua. He continued his education at the Teminabuan State Junior High School of Economics in Sorong in 1971 and Sorong State High School of Economics in Sorong from 1974 to 1977.
A Keen Learner
Balthasar Kambuaya is a true learner. Formally, he earned his Diploma III degree at Cenderawasih University, Papua, in 1978. Then, Berth, what he used to be called, continued to undergraduate level at Brawijaya University Malang in 1984. In 1996, Kambuaya took a Master of Business Administration degree at Durham University School of Business, United Kingdom. Next, he took a doctorate in Economics at Hasanuddin University, Makassar, in 2003.
For informal education, Kambuaya attended the Training on Small Business Development at Hasanuddin University Makassar-Kodrat in 1986. A year later, Berth also took the Training on SME Development organized by the University of Indonesia. He also joined the Academic Networking and University Management training at Texas & M University, United States of America, in 1999. Then, he also upgraded his skill in the Training on Risk Management in Singapore in 2006.
A Professional Academician
Balthasar Kambuaya is very focused on his professional career as an academic. His career began in 1979 when he became an assistant lecturer at the Faculty of Economics at Cenderawasih University, Papua. Two years later, he was appointed a lecturer at the same place.
In 1985, Kambuaya became Head of Subsection at the Research Institute at the university. Subsequently, he was given responsibility as Assistant Dean I at the Faculty of Economics and Social Law in the period 1986-1987. He was then appointed as Vice Dean III at the same faculty from 1987 to 1991 and again became Assistant Dean I in the period 1991-2000.
In the period 2001 to 2004, Balthasar Kambuaya was finally appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Economics there. Then, in his culmination point, he became the Rector of the university from 2005 to 2011.
Minister of Environment in SBY Era
After a long time serving at Cenderawasih University, Papua, finally, on October 19, 2011, Balthasar Kambuaya was appointed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the cabinet of Indonesia Bersatu II as the ninth Indonesian Minister of the Environment replacing Gusti Muhammad Hatta. His term of office was from October 19, 2011, to October 20, 2014. Former Minister Balthasar Kambuaya was replaced by Dr. Ir. Siti Nurbaya Bakar, M.Sc.
Brilliant Career Path
Kambuaya established various experiences related to the environment before serving as a minister. He was in charge of Research on Inventory of Types of Mining Resources in Papua Province in 2002. In 2003, he also served as Head of Research Team for Inventory of Potential Regional Original Income of Papua Province.
During his placement as Rector of Cendrawasih University, he was also a Member of the National Innovation Committee of the Republic of Indonesia in 2010 and has been a Member of the Board of Commissioners of Bank Papua since 2000 until now. After serving as a minister, he returned and became an active senior lecturer at the Management Department, Faculty of Economics and Business, Cenderawasih University.
Former Minister Balthasar Kambuaya has dedicated himself to the development in Papua and West Papua. In 2004, he wrote three pieces, namely Profil Small Business di Papua, Pengembangan Small Bussiness di Papua, and Perilaku Usaha Pengusaha Papua. He was also awarded Satya Lencana Adhitya Dharma Nugraha from the Minister of Education and Culture as a Model Lecturer in 1988.
