HE spoke calmly. His words were precise and organized—just like the combination of suit, tie and shoes that he wore. When starting the conversation, the first sentence out of his mouth was typically humble, Medanese style: "What am I really."

From his name alone Irsan Tanjung is undeniably from Andalas. Departing the quiet world of academics—as professor at the School of Economics, University of Indonesia (UI)—Irsan