Dr. Mohammad Ansori Nawawi
Born in the small village of Lumpatan in South Sumatra, Mohammad Ansori Nawawi spent his early childhood years under the yoke of Japanese occupation. Following the war, he learned English at a Methodist school in Palembang, and his academic excellence caught the attention of his teachers and later helped him secure a job at Standard Oil in 1956. After moving to Jakarta in 1959, he became involved in student organizing committees and labor movements. With the help of U.S. contacts and the American Embassy, he was accepted by the Wien Program at Brandeis, where he received his bachelors degree in economics and political science. He went on to receive a PhD from Princeton University in 1968.
Dr. Nawawi began his career as a professor of political science at Wellesley College. Moving back to Southeast Asia, he worked at the Institute for Southeast Asian studies in Singapore and as a visiting professor at Silliman University in the Philippines. He then served as Dean of Political Science at the University of Science Malaysia. Dr. Nawawi was a political scientist at the Center for Development Studies in Australia and the East-West Center in Hawaii, where he was lauded for his work on economic and political development in Southeast Asia.
Throughout his life, Dr. Nawawi worked to support his family, including eleven siblings in Indonesia. His goal was to give back to the people that supported him, and to ensure that every person in the Nawawi family has the ability to receive the best education they can earn, independent of financial burdens. His mission has now extended beyond the family, and he has spent decades investing in the growth of Lumpatan. Yayasan Nawawi represents the pinnacle achievement in his drive for equal access to education.
Dr. Mohammad Ansori Nawawi is a professor, philosopher, impactful mentor, and passionate advocate for social justice. He is a loving son, husband, brother, father and grandfather who has lived his life in the pursuit of excellence, and dedicated his life in the service of others.