Indonesia Council Digest - June 2022
Thanks everyone for the messages of well wishes as Jeremy, Nuke and I take on the Indonesia Council roles, it has been so nice to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones. I’m hoping to meet many more of you in person at the ASAA Conference in a few weeks.
The past month has been pretty great for Australia-Indonesia relations and those who care about rebuilding ties between the two countries. Our new Prime Minister (and co) headed off to Indonesia for his first bilateral diplomatic trip, and there was a seemingly endless stream of great news. From bamboo #bicyclediplomacy in Bogor (read Jemma Purdey’s take on Jokowi’s history of diplomasi sepeda here) to a visit to Makassar (the first for a sitting PM, I think!), it certainly had the Aus-Indo twitterati excited. We even managed to dig up this ancient photo of ACICIS Director Liam Prince engaging in his very own bicycle diplomacy as a student in Yogyakarta back in 2000.
Particularly heartening were the statements by the PM about reinvesting in people-to-people links through educational institutions and Indonesian-language capability in Australia ('More Australians speaking Bahasa Indonesia will be vital for Australia’s relationship with Indonesia’), including more support for ACICIS. The icing on the cake was the statement by Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Indonesian. Now we wait with bated breath to see how announcement will translate to action (some great ideas on where to start in this article for The Conversation by Tim Lindsey and Tim Mann).
Natali
WHAT’S HAPPENING...
IC @ ASAA
Top of the list this month is, of course, the ASAA Conference at Monash University in Melbourne (5-8 July 2022). The program is out, so you can start planning your days!
Don’t forget to RSVP by 30 June to attend our Indonesia Council activities on Wednesday 6 July. We’ve got a hybrid panel on barriers to research in Indonesia, our hybrid AGM, and a networking and nibbles event (in person only, dong!). Click here before 30 June to tell us if you’re coming.
Jeremy Kingsley and I will both be attending the ASAA meeting in person and are hoping to connect with as many IC members as possible. We will have morning drop-in kopi & ngobrol sessions at Taste Baguette from 08:15 each day (Tuesday 5–Friday 8 July), so please mampir, say hi, let us know what you want more of from the Council, or just come get your caffeine fix before a big day of conferencing.
Historians of Southeast Asia
Prof Robert Cribb will convene a Historians of Southeast Asia meeting in Melbourne from 10am–4.30pm on Tuesday 5 July (sorry postgrads but this clashes with the ASAA Postgraduate Workshop on the same day, so you’ll have to choose). The meeting is meant to give Australian and NZ academics working on Southeast Asian history a chance to connect and re-connect, and to discuss emerging projects and new possibilities in our field. Academics working at Australian and NZ universities are the core of the group, but postgraduates, emeriti and visitors from other parts of the world are very welcome to attend. The meeting is open to people who are not attending the ASAA conference. For more info, contact Robert directly: robert.cribb@anu.edu.au.
OTHER COOL STUFF
New exhibition: Tetangga: People, Places and Objects Across Borders
Last week I was invited to the opening of Tetangga, an online exhibition developed as part of the Australia-Indonesia Museums (AIM) Project. Wow. This is a huge project that has been running since May 2021, jointly funded by the Australia-Indonesia Institute and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (in fact its origins date to a 2016 Australia Awards course on capacity building in Indonesian museums run by Deakin University). Over the past year, the project has brought together 28 museum curators and heritage professionals from 16 museums in Indonesia and Australia to develop collaborative approaches to researching and interpreting significant objects. Through the co-curation of an online exhibition, the project has explored new stories about the relationship between both countries. They're also planning to publish and disseminate a significance assessment framework in Indonesian. You can view the exhibition on any web browser but it has been optimised for viewing on your phone - so scroll away!
Job! Lecturer in Indonesian Studies
UNSW Canberra
Closes 21 June so be quick!
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences is seeking a Lecturer with a demonstrable ability to teach Indonesian language and non-language subjects within Asia-Pacific studies. The Lecturer supports the research and teaching activities of the School and will be involved in advancing the School’s international profile by conducting scholarly research, contributing to the supervision of research students, and undertake a range of teaching duties. The position will also contribute to the effective functioning of the School by undertaking a range of other administrative duties. The role of Lecturer reports to the Head of School and has no direct reports.
Australia-Indonesia in Conversation 2022 Conference: Managing Environmental and Resources Challenges and Thinking about Climate Futures
20-21 July 2022
Convened by Dr Rachael Diprose, Prof Kate McGregor, and A/Prof Kate MacDonald (the University of Melbourne), and Dr Poppy Winanti and Dr Fina Itryati (Universitas Gadjah Mada)
You are invited to attend the Australia-Indonesia in Conversation 2022 Conference, to be held online from 20 to 21 July. The conference, organised by the Faculty of Arts at The University of Melbourne in collaboration with the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada, aims to further enhance bilateral partnerships and shared knowledge, experiences and insights into each country's efforts to manage environmental and resource challenges and to protect the Anthropocene through a range of policies, actions and innovations through roundtable discussions involving diplomats, academics and community workers as well as Q&A from audiences. Panels will focus on 'Responding to National and Global Energy Climate Change Challenges: Policy and Innovation', 'Social Inclusion and Local Knowledge in Environmental Management and Sustainability', 'Sustainable Resource Use and Productive Landscapes', and 'Sustainable Cities and Local/ Regional Initiatives'. For more information about this event and registration, please visit the website and follow the links to register via the Eventbrite page. For any questions about the event, please contact Prasakti Ramadhana Fahadi (pfahadi@unimelb.edu.au) or Clarina Dewi Nugrahanti (geo.fisipol@ugm.ac.id).
Scholarships at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII)
UIII is offering scholarships for the 2022/2023 Academic Year for both Master's and Doctoral programs. Both admission schemes are open to Indonesian and foreign citizens who are able to demonstrate leadership qualities and strong academic backgrounds. According to the Rector, although UIII bears the name of Islam, its vision and mission are inclusive and universal, meaning that UIII is not strictly for Muslims but also welcomes those from other religions https://www.uiii.ac.id/news/headline/261/uiii-admissions-2022-2023 and people of different faiths. Applications close 30 June 2022, more info here.
Indonesia Council Open Conference
So far so quiet on the call for expressions of interest to host the 2023 Indonesia Council Open Conference, usually in July. If your institution is interested in hosting the ICOC 2023, please get in touch: iclistdata@gmail.com.
CALL FOR PAPERS
ANU Indonesia Institute Postgraduate Student Conference
Australian National University, 14-15 September 2022
Call for papers deadline: 16 July 2022.
The ANU Indonesia Institute Postgraduate Conference is hosting an interdisciplinary conference for students conducting Indonesia-related research at the postgraduate and honours level. All postgraduate and honours students enrolled at ANU or other universities who are conducting research on Indonesia are encouraged to attend and present their research. The conference will provide an opportunity for students to share their research in a supportive environment, to learn about Indonesia-related research being conducted by other students, to meet and network with students with similar interests, and to gains insights into how to publish their work and build a professional research career.
The conference will take place immediately before the ANU Indonesia Update, which will be held on 16-17 September on the topic of Gender Equality and Diversity in Indonesia: Identifying Progress and Challenges.
Registration due date: 16 July 2022. To register to attend or present a paper click here. For queries please contact: indonesia.institute@anu.edu.au. Registration is free of charge.
Indonesia Regional Science Association Conference 2022: COVID-19 Disruption and Regional Development in Small Island Economies
Universitas Mataram, 18-19 July 2022
The Indonesian Regional Science Association (IRSA) invites researchers of relevant disciplines to submit abstracts to be presented at the 17th IRSA International Conference. The conference will be hosted by the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Mataram and held in Lombok, Indonesia, 18-19 July 2022.
All participants must register for the conference. The deadline for early registration is 1 June 2022. After this date, higher registration fees will apply. The deadline by which the presenting author must be registered in order for their paper to be included in the programme is 15 June 2022. For more information click here.
PUBLICATIONS
Dr Shawna Tang and Hendri Yulius Wijaya have a new edited book out with Routledge on Queer Southeast Asia. This groundbreaking collection presents the current state of play and longstanding LGBTQ+ debates in this often overlooked region of Asia. The diversity of both the subject and the region is reflected in the broad scope of topics addressed, including a chapter by Benjamin Hegarty on ‘An Inter-Asian History of Transpuan in Indonesia.’ The volume highlights the operations of queer politics in Southeast Asia and presents a concrete basis to reflect on queer knowledge production in the region. Click here to order your copy.
What do an anthropologist and a cruise ship have in common? This is a great read by Emeritus Professor Kathy Robinson on being a cruise ship professor (dream job!).
For a change of pace, check out this new article in Party Politics on ‘Islamic political parties and election campaigns in Indonesia’, by Colm A Fox and Jeremy Menchik.
I’m also keen to catch up on this new article in Marine Policy on ‘Three centuries of marine governance in Indonesia: Path dependence impedes sustainability’ by Naimah Lutfi Talib, Ariane Utomo, Jon Barnett and Dedi Supriadi Adhuri.
If you’re more in the mood for watching than reading, you might like to take a look at Plastic Island, a documentary by Rahung Nasution on plastic pollution in Indonesia, now screening on Netflix with English subtitles. For more on Indonesia’s booming film industry, including how KKN di Desa Penari has become its biggest homegrown blockbuster, this article by James Guild for The Diplomat might be of interest.
If you published something on Indonesia recently and it’s not listed here, just get in touch: iclistdata@gmail.com. We rely on you to send us news and information. 😊
VALE Betty Feith
We have lost another important link in the relationship between Australia and Indonesia. Betty was one of a group of members of the Australian Student Christian Movement (including Don Anderson) who played a key role together with Betty’s future husband Herb Feith in establishing the Volunteer Graduate Scheme for Indonesia.
She herself became a Volunteer Graduate, sharing a house in Jakarta with Ailsa Thomson (later Zainu’ddin) who, like her, had been educated at the Methodist Ladies College in Kew. They both worked in the Ministry of Education with Jo Kurnianingrat (later Sastroamijoyo). The story of their connections and lasting friendship appears in Bridges of Friendship: Reflections on Indonesia’s Early Independence and Australia’s Volunteer Graduate Scheme (2017). This volume, published by Monash University Publishing, includes the text of Betty’s Master’s thesis (supervised by Ailsa) which remains the most comprehensive account of the early years of the VGS (later Australian Volunteers International). The book was supported by AVI and appeared in a series sponsored by the Herb Feith Foundation. The longer history of AVI appears in Peter Britton, Working for the World: The Evolution of Australian Volunteers International (2019).
After their return from Indonesia in 1956, Betty and Ailsa went on to teach Indonesian Studies and Southeast Asian history in Melbourne. In Betty’s case this was at Burwood and Toorak Teachers’ Colleges (later part of Deakin University). She was a member of the History of Education for Girls discussion group (HEGG) at Monash University, a group which Ailsa co-founded and co-convened.
There is much to learn about Betty’s life with Herb in Jemma Purdey’s biography From Vienna to Yogyakarta: The Life of Herb Feith (2011). After Herb’s retirement from Monash University they travelled to Yogyakarta in 1995, where they researched together on the social justice work of Catholic and Protestant church groups there that stemmed from Betty’s work with the Australian Council of Churches. Purdey notes: ‘They enjoyed the reversal of roles; Betty was research leader and Herb her assistant’. When they returned to Yogyakarta as volunteers in 1996, Betty was able to teach at Atma Jaya University while Herb taught at Gadjah Mada University.
We extend our deepest sympathy to Herb and Betty’s family on their loss.
~ Charles Coppel
ACICIS update
After an exciting few days in the spotlight the week before last, ACICIS is busy gearing up for the resumption of in-country study in Indonesia in August, when the first post-pandemic cohort of ACICIS semester students will arrive in Yogyakarta. The ACICIS team is also hard at work recruiting students to take up places and available New Colombo Plan funding for in-country programs running over Summer 2022/23. Over 200 students have so far applied, but after two consecutive summers lost to the pandemic, ACICIS needs more! The extended application deadline for Summer 2022/23 programs has passed, but students can still get their applications in under the wire if they move fast.
ACICIS is continuing to dialogue with relevant Indonesian and Australian authorities about recent changes to Indonesian visa requirements for Australian students seeking to travel to Indonesia for short duration educational purposes. These changes—brought in during the pandemic—stand to hamper the restart of student mobility to Indonesia and the efforts of Australian schools and universities to restore outbound student numbers to their (booming) pre-pandemic levels.
~ Liam Prince
MEET OUR MEMBER
This month in Meet our Members, we are featuring the wonderful Dr Kirrilee Hughes. If you’re keen to be featured (or want to make a cheeky nomination for someone else), get in touch: iclistdata@gmail.com.
Kirrilee Hughes
Tell us about yourself!
I’m Kirrilee (Kik for short) and I work across research and professional practice in international education. Currently I work as a consultant and I’ve previously held leadership and strategy roles for global education organisations as well as sessional teaching and research positions at Australian universities. My PhD in is Asian Studies from ANU and my doctoral research focused on Australia’s ‘Asia literacy’ agenda. I also studied Indonesian as an undergraduate at ANU and I’m an ACICIS and AFS alumni. I currently live in Singapore with my husband and our little boy.
What is the nature of your engagement with Indonesia – are you an academic, a professional, an alumnus…
I’m an ‘everything’… and I really love the work I currently do in international education at the intersection of research and professional practice, where I often draw on my alumni experience as a high school and university student in Indonesia. Currently I consult to international education clients out of Singapore and, over my career, I’ve frequently travelled to Indonesia for work. I’ve previously managed AIYEP, I’m a current member of ACICIS’ National Reference Group and I’m also working on project exploring Australia-Asia youth engagement.
How do you think organisations like Indonesia Council can improve Australia-Indonesia relations?
Bilateral people-to-people connections are so important and the Indonesia Council provides important networking and knowledge sharing opportunities for researchers in both countries. Often, it is the academic work of Indonesia Council members that provides an evidence based for other areas of the bilateral relationship.
What are some of the challenges and opportunities in the Indonesia-Australia relationship?
I think one of the biggest challenges of the bilateral relationship stems from the way Australians and Indonesian engage with each other. The majority of Australians experience Indonesia as tourists, and for Indonesians, Australia is the top destination country for university and vocational education students wishing to study abroad. The challenge is to broaden this engagement to other areas such as school relations, business, community and cultural connections. There are so many opportunities for Australians and Indonesians to learn about each other outside of tourism and tertiary education.
Tell us about your favourite Indonesian food experience
Obviously there’s so much good food across Indonesia… but my favourite experience is probably the mountain of Indo Mie packets and Indo Café 3-in-1 sachets I consumed late at night with my kos mates as an ACICIS student. Sometimes we’d splash out and get really fancy by adding an egg to make our version of ‘mie rebus’. Noodles, coffee and ‘ngobrol’ are an excellent combo.
Do you speak Indonesian and where did you start learning it?
Yes, I do (as well as some Javanese, but my Indonesian is definitely more fluent). I started learning it in Year 7 at my high school in Sydney, ended up on a year-long AFS exchange program in Yogyakarta in Year 10 and also studied Indonesian at ANU and my ACICIS program including the field work study option in Malang). Throughout my career, I’ve managed teams in Indonesia and have had many opportunities to maintain my language skills. A big shout-out to Amrih Widodo who taught me Indonesian and Javanese at ANU and is an exceptionally gifted language teacher.
What’s your favourite Indonesian music/song/writer?
As a high school student in Indonesia in the 1990s, I used to ‘learn vocab’ from Indonesian pop songs 😉. There’s a special place in my heart for KLA’s ‘Yogyakarta’; Nugie’s ‘Burung Gereja’, Slank’s ‘Tonk Kosong’, Base Jam’s ‘Bermimpi’ and Jamrud’s ‘Putri’ (haha and if you know these songs, enjoy the daggy video clips!).
[Last month’s PAY IT FORWARD question]: If you didn’t work on Indonesia, what would your profession be and why?
I’ve always had an interest in language acquisition… so maybe a Speech Pathologist? Though I probably would have gone down a research path with that too!
PAY IT FORWARD: Finally, it’s YOUR turn to ask a question… Please suggest a question we can ask our next member!
You’ve been asked by Foreign Minister Wong for a ‘big idea’ that will effect positive change in Australia-Indonesia bilateral people-to-people relations. What will you pitch to her?
Be sure to check out the July Monthly Digest for our next featured member!
