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Holip Soekawan

International Director Asia
Southeast Asia Regional Office-Jakarta
University of Southern California

Holip Soekawan is the Director of the USC Southeast Asia International Office in Indonesia. As the USC International Offices' arm for Southeast Asia, Holip helps develop a range of services, activities, and programs to: improve efforts to organize and serve the University's alumni; enhance efforts to recruit qualified students; improve communication with families of Pacific Rim students; facilitate academic exchange; and cultivate regional donors.

The USC Jakarta office was the first one to be opened in the middle of 1997. Since taking charge in early 1998, Holip has worked closely with both the Indonesian government and international donor agencies (USAID, World Bank, Asian Development Bank), to help build the capacity of the Indonesian public sector. This has been done through special USC-assisted programs in Indonesia, and via sending public servants for short-term training, and/or Masters and Doctoral degrees to Los Angeles. The close ties with the government, local universities, and donor agencies have also presented a great opportunity, for USC faculty, to do considerable hands-on research in Indonesia. This also means that the related USC faculty members are in the forefront of actual development and trends in this significant country.

Prior to his USC position, Holip had spent half a year in the automotive accessories industry, where he was the Assistant Export/Import Manager at DAZZ Motorsport in San Gabriel, California. Thereafter, Holip established the Export Department at PT Omni Kemas Industry in Indonesia, a family owned plastic-packaging manufacturing entity. Since his departure from Omni, the export department has played a significant role in helping the company weather the current economic turmoil in Asia.

During his time as a student at USC, Holip was the President of the USC Indonesian Student Association. In this role, Holip created the 1st ever newsletter for the Association, and started the Sosro Badminton Cup, the badminton tournament for Indonesians in Southern California.

Holip received the "Outstanding Leadership Award" from the USC Office for International Students and Scholars in 1994. During the same year, he also earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the USC Marshall School's Lloyd Greif Entrepreneur Program. Holip also expects to earn his executive MBA degree in 2003, from Monash University, Australia.

Holip is also one of the founders, and current Executive Vice President of AUSCI (http://www.dnet.net.id/ausci), the association of Alumni of USC in Indonesia.