Franciscus Xaverius Seda, commonly known as Frans Seda, was born on the island of Flores in 1926. When he passed away at the age of 83 in 2009, Frans Seda was commemorated for his many accomplishments in life as politician, minister (four times), diplomat, presidential advisor, successful businessman, Catholic church activist, founder and the very first Rector of the Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Jakarta, as well as the very first Dean of the Economic Faculty. Later he served as the Chairman of the Atma Jaya Foundation, a foundation-governing board for the Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia for many years, and then as a Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Atma Jaya Foundation. Part of his own education was on Dutch schools: both the MULO in Muntilan and HBS in Surabaya, as well as the Tilburg University where he graduated in 1956.
In 2012, members of the Tilburgs Student Fraternity I.K.S. of which Frans Seda was a member, founded the Frans Seda Foundation in order to commemorate the life and teachings of its namesake. The overall goal of the foundation is to promote and organise joined Indonesian-Dutch academic activities which study, spread and put into action the philosophy of Frans Seda on pursuing global common good and social justice.
Having published an encompassing biography of Frans Seda, the foundation currently organises the following activities:
- an annual Frans Seda lecture, both in Indonesia and the Netherlands;
- multiple research scholar ships for master students in Indonesia and the Netherlands in the field of civil society development;
- an annual multi-day seminar for inspiring young people from Indonesia and the Netherlands.