Anies Baswedan comes from an academic family with no political background or wealth, but he entered the political arena through the academic window. His star rose in the political sky, and he announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections from outside the traditional party circles and political salons in Indonesia.
Anies Baswedan, of Yemeni descent, rapidly ascended in the political world, achieving his greatest success in 2017 when he won the Jakarta Governor election. He continued his ascent by running for the 2024 presidential elections, relying on his high popularity garnered during the five years he led the capital.
Early Life and Family
Born on May 7, 1969, in Kuningan, West Java, Anies is the eldest of three children born to his father, Rashid, of Arab descent from Hadramout, Yemen.
While many Indonesians of Hadrami descent have held high positions, he is the first to run for the position of the President of the Republic.
Anies Baswedan in an election meeting with his supporters (Al Jazeera)
His father worked as a lecturer at the Islamic University in Indonesia, while his mother, Alia Rashid, was a professor of social and economic sciences at Gadjah Mada University.
Anies’ grandfather, Abdul Rahman Baswedan (1908-1986), was a leader in the movement for liberation from Dutch colonization. He declared Indonesia’s independence from his home, working as a prominent journalist and diplomat. The state posthumously awarded him the title of “National Hero of Indonesia” in 2018.
Anies got married in 1996 and has been blessed with four children.
Education and Academic Background
Anies graduated in 1993 from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Gadjah Mada University in Jakarta, Indonesia.
In 1997, he received a scholarship to study for a master’s degree in Global Security and Economic Policy at the University of Maryland in the United States, graduating in 1998.
In 1999, he obtained a scholarship for a Ph.D. at the University of Illinois in the United States, working as a research assistant at the university. His dissertation was titled “Regional Autonomy and Patterns of Democracy in Indonesia,” and he completed his Ph.D. in 2005.
Political and Practical Experience
Anies fought a fierce battle in the 2017 Jakarta Governor election with the support of Islamic parties, facing the candidate “Ahok,” of Chinese descent who was accused during the campaign of insulting Islam and subsequently sentenced to two years in prison.
The election crisis deepened the rift between Anies and President Jokowi, as Ahok was the Vice President in 2012 and his successor, Baswedan, became Governor of Jakarta.
During his five years as Governor of Jakarta, Anies was considered successful in leading the city during the COVID-19 pandemic. He worked on improving the public transport system in the city, earning him several international awards.
Days before the end of his term as Jakarta Governor in October 2022, the leader of the “NasDem” party and businessman Besy Support Syria endorsed Anies as the presidential candidate for 2024.
In September 2023, Anies officially entered the presidential race alongside the leader of the National Awakening Party, Mohamad Iskandar, as his vice president, with the support of four parties (NasDem, National Awakening, Justice and Welfare, and Ummah) in what they called the “Alliance for Change.”
The “Indonesia Belajar” project overseen by Anies Baswedan (from his official site)
Positions and Achievements
Anies’ first step into public service was when he was elected as the President of Paramadina University in Jakarta at the age of 37, making him one of the youngest university presidents in the country.
He was appointed as the Minister of Education and Culture in 2014 after Joko Widodo (Jokowi) won the presidency in his first term (2014-2019) as a recognition of Anies’ outstanding efforts during his election campaign. However, he was dismissed after serving in the position for nearly two years in 2016.
During his tenure as the Minister of Education, he launched the “Indonesia Mengajar” (Indonesia Teaches) program aimed at training new university graduates and sending them to remote areas for one year to eradicate widespread illiteracy in Indonesian villages and rural areas.
Awards and Recognitions
Anies has been listed in several international rankings and awards as a prominent figure in the global and Islamic world, including:
- In 2009, Foreign Policy magazine included him in its list of the top 100 global intellectuals.
- The World Economic Forum included him in the list of Young Global Leaders in 2009.
- In April 2010, he was selected as one of the 20 influential individuals in the world by the special issue of the Japanese International Affairs magazine.
- In June 2010, the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Jordan ranked him among the top 500 influential Muslims in the world.
- In November 2010, he received the Education Award from the Turkish Pasha Foundation for his efforts in developing education in rural areas in Indonesia.
- In recognition of providing fair, affordable, and inclusive transportation for all, he was selected as the Transport Hero of 2021 by the Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative, supported by Germany.
- A survey conducted by Populi, an Indonesian opinion research center in 2022, revealed that 86% of Jakarta residents were satisfied with Anies’ performance as Governor of the city.
