Indonesia is mourning the loss of Kwik Kian Gie, who passed away on Monday 28 July 2025. He was 90 years old.
Born on 11 January 1935, in Juwana, Pati, Central Java, Kwik rose to national prominence during Indonesia’s most politically turbulent years. Of Chinese-Indonesian descent, he became a vital voice for economic justice and transparency, earning respect across political lines for his honesty and independent thinking.
Kwik Kian Gie was an alumnus of Erasmus School of Economics in Rotterdam, where he studied in the 1950s. He always credited his Dutch education for shaping his analytical thinking. It was also in Rotterdam where he met his wife, Edith Johanna de Widt, forming a deeply rooted family legacy in Rotterdam. Three generations of his family, his daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons, have all studied at the same institution, making Erasmus University Rotterdam “our university,” as the family fondly refers to it.
Kwik held key positions in the Indonesian government, serving as Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industry under President Abdurrahman Wahid (1999–2000), and later as Minister of National Development Planning and Head of Bappenas under President Megawati Soekarnoputri (2001–2004). He was a senior figure within the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), and widely known for his sharp economic critiques and unflinching commitment to the public interest.
Beyond politics, Kwik made significant contributions to education and entrepreneurship, founding the Institut Bisnis dan Informatika Indonesia (IBII) to promote business and IT education.
Though age and illness gradually limited his public appearances, Kwik remained intellectually active and engaged. His recent visit to his Alma Mater in Rotterdam in 2021, where he was warmly welcomed by Director of Alumni Affairs, Charles Hermans, marked a fitting tribute to his lifelong dedication to learning and service. Erasmus Magazine reported on this visit.
