1. Widjojo Nitisastro was an Indonesian economist, who was known as the main architect of the Indonesian economy during the New Order regime of President Suharto, serving as Minister for National Development and Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry.
Widjojo Nitisastro was one of Indonesia's best-known and most respected economic policy-makers, both within Indonesia and overseas.
Widjojo Nitisastro joined the Indonesian Student Army during the Indonesian National Revolution and fought in Surabaya.
Widjojo Nitisastro would go on to become a professor at the university.
Widjojo Nitisastro was generally considered to be the foremost member of the well-known 'Berkeley Mafia' group of economists.
Widjojo Nitisastro was born in Malang Residency, on 23 September 1927, and grew up in Surabaya.
Widjojo Nitisastro came from a retired elementary school superintendent's family.
Widjojo Nitisastro's father was an activist with the Greater Indonesia Party.
In 1945, when the Indonesian National Revolution erupted, Widjojo joined the Indonesian Student Army.
Widjojo Nitisastro then continued his higher education at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Indonesia, specializing in the field of demography.
Widjojo Nitisastro later became a full professor of economics at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta at the age of 34 in 1962.
Shortly after, Widjojo Nitisastro continued his doctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley.
Widjojo Nitisastro expressed his opinion to the government to change the paradigm of the Indonesian economy.
In 1971, Widjojo Nitisastro was appointed State Minister for National Development Planning, a position he held until the early 1980s.
Widjojo Nitisastro served as Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance, and Industry from 1973 until 1983.
Habibie and Widjojo Nitisastro had two conflicting views on economics, and Widjojo Nitisastro's role in the Indonesian economy was not as strong as it used to be under Habibie.
Widjojo Nitisastro did not publish widely during his period in government preferring to work directly with his colleagues and President Suharto.
In October 2012, Widjojo Nitisastro was recognised as the "father of Indonesian demography" during a seminar at the 62nd anniversary of the Economics Faculty, University of Indonesia.