Sunday, January 6, 2008

NEWSLETTER January 7th 2008

NEWSLETTER BANDUNG FE INSTITUTE (BFI)
January 7th 2008

CONTENTS:
01. The New Year Speech From the Office
02. BFI 1st Lustrum
03. Book Plan: Complex Indonesian Outlook 2008
04. Book Available: Indonesian Introduction to Econophysics

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01. Presidential Speech of The New Year 2008

Here is the presidential speech for the closing of research year 2007 and opening of 2008.

Friends, competitors, colleagues, and all readers of the institute,
It is now the time we change the calendar of research as the calendars in the wall will be replaced by the new year of 2008. The year of 2007 has been a very interesting year for the celebration of a lot of empirical researches by our scholars and researchers. The topics are various: from the romance story of love to the enhancement of stock market forecasting techniques, from the evolution of languages to Indonesian strategic economic views, from the world of sports to the interesting patterns in Javanese batik. All were done and discussed in the institute and with interesting spirit of research with betterment of our society and humanity through scientific research. The year also was signed with the accomplishment of the new book can be regarded as an Indonesian Outlook 2008. A compilation of what BFI researchers view of Indonesia in the sense of complexity sciences. Everything has been very exciting, to me as the president of the institute and also friends and the people in the institute.

I also want to recall the very happy Ardian Maulana for his internship in the institute studying political sciences in the institute regarding to social conflict, game theoretic analysis, and social balance theories in the Dept. Computational Sociology. The year of 2007 is also a very interesting year for this year the institute has held the first Lustrum, the fifth years of the establishment of the institute. I congratulate the people in the institute for their struggle for research with very limited resources and possible pressures each experienced, be it from people who do not like the accomplishment and our heart of steel or from ourselves teasing to be alike with most people who are lazy enough not to change corrupt things in our localities. Our pride is in our hope for the possible betterment of the society in which we are living, or at least the social induction we made through a lot of publication we created throughout the year.

Friends, competitors, colleagues, and all readers of the institute,
Personally I would like also to express that the future world we are heading will be harder, not because of the lower appreciation we would have, but because we have made a single step in this thousand miles journey we begin in the institute. Our works should be followed by more works in the future: scrutinizing data in our dirty works for the advancement of our scientific endeavors. Our achievements will never be enough as the better life has been transcending in our spirit for seeking truth and knowledge. We will never feel enough. And this feeling will make our journey even harder and harder.

Friends, competitors, colleagues, and all readers of the institute,
We are facing the new year, and hopefully we will make it better since for us: yesterday is good, to day is better, but tomorrow is the best! Thus, in the name of all BFI researchers and scholars, I would like to warmly convey to all of you the very happy new year eve we are facing, and let us do better. The power that will always be in any scientific researchers are the optimism that is being led, since there is no pessimistic sciences. This is the beauty of any science, and we are holding on to.

Have a nice time reading, and let us enjoy life through science…

Hokky Situngkir
President BFI


02. BFI 1st Lustrum 2007
BFI is now in its 5th years for serving sciences of social complexity. The celebration of the 5th year was held in Taman Budaya Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia (Bandung Cultural Park, West Java, Indonesia). The commemoration was attended by closed friends and colleagues of the institute's researchers. The event was closed with dining together and the cut of Tumpeng, an Indonesian traditional steamed rice.

the presentation of Yun Hariadi's (above) and Hokky Situngkir's (below)


There were two papers presented at the moment:

1. Statistical Properties of some Indonesian Songs
presentation by: Hokky Situngkir

2. Fractal Geometry of Indonesian Batik
presentation by: Yun Hariadi

Both papers can be downloaded in the BFI working paper list in the institute's website.


03. Book Plan for Complex Indonesian Outlook 2008 and ahead
The institute in support and cooperation with Surya Research International Co. Ltd. has planned to write a book about Indonesian Outlook 2008 covering interdisciplinary social issues in the perspective of social complex analysis. The book is expected to tell us some description about Indonesia, from Indonesian, for general readers interested about Indonesia. The book is planned to be eclectic and written in Bahasa Indonesia with contents mostly powered by the institute's researches throughout these years, regarding to some important issues, e.g.: sociological aspects, political issues, economic and financial along with interesting aspects of culture and arts. A writing committee has been lined up and would be chaired by president of the institute directing the institute researchers, Yun Hariadi (Dynamical System Dept.), Rendra Suroso (Cognitive Science Dept.), Deni Khanafiah (Computational Sociology Dept.), Rolan Mauludy (Computational Sociology Dept.), along with research assistants Ardian Maulana Effendy and Kurniawan Hadi Yusro. An external writer, Hoferdy Zawani, would also help the general writing processes. There is possibility that some other external writers may also contribute to this book despite the book is programmed to be ready for publication in the next couple of months. The committee are also open for sympathetic hands that might want to help the publication of the book. Please contact the institute if you would like to know in which side you might want and are able to participate.


04. Book Available: Indonesian Introduction to Econophysics
A book written by BFI scholars to introduce econophysics for Indonesian readers has been published in the last year and it has been circulated in national major book stores. However, we have heard some difficulties to obtain the book. The book is now available by ordering the book directly to BFI administrative office in Bandung or Surya Research International office in Jakarta.

Interested readers may contact:

Yohanis Kwee
Surya Research International
Ruko Cyberpark
Jalan Boulevard Gajah Mada no. 2152
Lippo Karawaci
Tangerang 15811 - Banten
Indonesia
ph. +62 21 5512584
mobile. +62 818144552


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BFI Administration
Bandung Fe Institute
Sarijadi Blok 5 No. 151
Bandung 40151
JAWA BARAT
INDONESIA
ph./fax: +62 22 2018232
http://www.bandungfe.net