Indonesia

Alexander Irwan

Program Officer Jakarta

Alexander Irwan focuses on governance issues in the foundation's Jakarta office. His work promotes the participation of poor and marginalized groups in public decision making, with an emphasis on strengthening the budgeting and accountability of nongovernmental organizations to improve their standing when seeking government transparency. His grant making encourages collaboration among central and local government, nongovernmental organizations and grassroots groups to develop models that can be replicated in other districts and cities in Indonesia.

Before joining the Ford Foundation in 2006, Alex was executive director of the Tifa Foundation, an Indonesian philanthropic organization focused on human rights and governance issues. His concentration on good governance began when he joined the World Bank in 1998 and later worked as a United Nations Development Programme adviser for the Partnership of Governance Reform.

Alex holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the State University of New York at Binghamton, a master's degree in development studies from the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, and a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz.