Herbert Feith was an Australian academic and world leading scholar of Indonesian politics.
10 Facts About Herbert Feith
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2.
Herbert Feith came to Australia as a refugee in 1939 with his Austrian Jewish parents, one of a few thousand Jews granted humanitarian visas.
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Herbert Feith took an undergraduate degree in political science at the University of Melbourne, working with Professor William Macmahon Ball.
4.
Herbert Feith helped found the Monash Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, which became one of the world's best institutes on the region.
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Herbert Feith re-oriented from academic scholarship to more activist work, but continued teaching and research, taking early retirement from Monash in 1990.
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Herbert Feith was 71 years old, and had three children and several grandchildren.
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Herbert Feith was guided by a strong sense of social justice, human rights and worked with international peace movements.
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Herbert Feith practised voluntary simplicity and was renowned as an inspiring lecturer and teacher.
9.
Herbert Feith was "a staunch defender of the right to self-determination of the East Timorese people; but rather than adopting a confrontational approach, he would offer face-saving solutions that would allow Indonesia to withdraw with dignity".
10.
The Herb Herbert Feith Foundation was established after his death to undertake a number of activities in the fields of education and publishing related to Indonesia and East Timor.