Linda Susilowati

Tell us about yourself!

I’m a PhD Student at the University of Sydney. My current research is about gender dynamics in Indonesian rural change.

Where does your interest in Indonesia stem from?

I started my career as an academic based on my interest in social and development issues in Indonesia. During my journey as an academic, I sometimes feel that the importance of social science research is often overlooked by many, even though Indonesia is a country with great human resources and cultural complexity. I personally think more contribution from social scientists is needed.

What is the nature of your engagement with Indonesia – are you an academic, a professional, an alumni…

I’m an academic and have been involved in research related to gender, social psychology and development studies. I've also been involved in some Australia-Indonesian collaboration work, one of the memorable ones when I was supported by the Crawford Fund for a short course in 2017 to learn many Australian-Indonesian bilateral initiatives.

Have you ever been to an Indonesia Council Open Conference and if so, what is your fondest memory?

I have. I love the opportunity to meet academics with many different interests in Indonesia. My fondest memory was when I realised that I'm so glad my late father pushed me to learn Javanese! It turned out to be a handy and precious skill in some Indonesian research approaches.

How do you think organisations like Indonesia Council can improve Australia-Indonesia relations?

Of course! Indonesia remains the most popular destination for student internships in the Indo-Pacific region. And Australia is still one of the most popular destinations for international students from Indonesia. IC can be a place where those two meet to understand each other’s complexity.

What are some of the challenges and opportunities in the Indonesia-Australia relationship?

As neighbour countries, there are numerous opportunities for both countries to collaborate. I believe Australia realises Indonesia’s large and growing consumer market, emerging manufacturing capabilities, and human and natural resources. Meanwhile, Australia is a potential partner in advanced technology, higher education and sustainable development. Despite the challenges that some are rooted in historical issues, I believe that with diplomatic efforts and a commitment to building a mutually beneficial partnership, we can increase trust and collaboration from both countries.

Tell us about your favourite Indonesian food experience.

The latest one was when I was conducting fieldwork in rural Java and went to a village where they always make fantastic peasant food. During the fieldwork, I often went to their traditional Sunday market, and I couldn't believe how they make a lot of variant food only from a casava: tiwul, kue apem corong, gathot, a lot! And, unlike other places in Java that use banana leaves as a wrap, most of them are wrapped with teak leaves (see pictures attached).

What’s your favourite Indonesian food and why?

It's tough to choose, but I'll go with Sambal Roa. It's crushed dried smoked Roa fish cooked with chilli and other ingredients, such as typical Indonesian herbs such as lime leaves, lemon grass, and onion.

What’s your favourite Indonesian music/song/writer?

It’s probably old-fashioned, but Pramoedya Ananta Toer is still at the top among my favourite Indonesian writers.

What’s your favourite Indonesian idiom?

Si tou timou tumou tou, loosely translated as ‘human lives to educate or humanise others’.

[Last month’s PAY IT FORWARD question]:

Have you ever use the wrong word or phrase in Bahasa Indonesia (or English) by mistake?

I remember mistakenly using the word womb instead of comb once and wrongly pronouncing the word ‘message’ – and instead saying ‘massage’ – once, too. It was pretty awkward because I asked someone, ‘Do you have a womb?’ in a grocery store and ‘Could you please send me the “massage”?’. It was so embarrassing!

?PAY IT FORWARD: Finally, it’s YOUR turn to ask a question…  Please suggest a question we can ask our next member!

Have you ever watched or joined any Indonesian traditional ceremony or show? Tell us the most memorable moment of those.