Gong Xi Fa Cai and Ramadan Mubarak 1447H! As communities across Indonesia and Australia prepare for a sacred month of reflection, togetherness, and compassion, we extend our heartfelt wishes for a peaceful and fulfilling Ramadan, and a happy Imlek to all our members.

In the wake of the impact of the many and ongoing extreme weather events that have impacted communities across Indonesia in recent months, we hope the confluence of auspicious events offers moments for togetherness and joy.

This month has already been significant for Australia-Indonesia relations. On 6 February Anthony Albanese visited Indonesia to sign a security pact with Indonesia's president, Prabowo Subianto, agreeing to consider joint responses to any security threats. While the Prime Minister called this a watershed moment and the beginning of the new era, analysis in the media (and certainly an opportunity for Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong to put out some positive sos-med content in Indonesian), political observers are not convinced.

There is similar cynicism in Indonesia regarding Prabowo’s recent decision to join US President Trump’s Board of Peace, and recent announcements that 8000 Indonesian troops are readying to deploy to Gaza. Given Indonesia’s long-standing diplomatic recognition and support for Palestine, what does this move mean for Indonesia’s foreign policy? In an article on The Conversation, analyst and researcher Fauzia G. Cempaka Timur says it indicates a shift in focus, away from humanitarianism and towards security.

Finally, if you’re looking for ways to get closer to Indonesia, not to worry: the planet has you covered. Drawing on data from Geoscience Australia’s 2020 report, Australia on the Move, sos-med creators @foryoujkt have calculated that due to Australia’s rapid geological shift to the north (7cm a year!), we’ll soon be able to get the metro to BlokM via Sydney.

This year we will be shifting to a bi-monthly (once every two months) newsletter, as well as featuring some guest editors from the IC Executive team. To stay up to date with events, conferences, publications and other opportunities in the meantime, do follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook.

You can also contact us at iclistdata [at] gmail.com

What’s happening

Winners of the 2025 Bahasa Sesh Challenge

November 2025 saw the announcement of the winners of the 2025 Bahasa Sesh Challenge. Acicis alum Lawrence Gilardi took out the grand prize with his “mimpi” entry, while Hayqa Nayla and Taryn Cameron were awarded “most popular” and “most creative” entries respectively. Congratulations to Lawrence and all the entrants!

Cultural Amnesia

Coming soon to Sydney, The Cross Art Projects presents an exhibition by leading Indonesian contemporary artist Tisna Sanjaya. The exhibition titled “Cultural Amnesia” presents Tisna’s dramatic recent paintings addressing the legacy of systemic corruption and genocide inherited from Indonesia’s 32 years of New Order military dictatorship. The exhibition runs 21 February to 28 March 2026, and public programs include:

Opening – Saturday 21 February, 2 pm
With opening performance by Tisna Sanjaya and Acknowledgement of Country by Djon Mundine OAM
Public Conversation – Saturday 14 March, 2 pm
With Tisna Sanjaya and Dr Elly Kent

Tisna Sanjaya, *Untitled*, mixed media on canvas, 120 x 100 cm

Other cool stuff

Cornell's Digital Indonesia archive

Digital Indonesia at Cornell University Library is a new initiative of the Echols Collection and is an attempt to bring some of Cornell’s Southeast Asian materials to an Indonesian speaking audience. Developed as an online exhibition, Digital Indonesia is a collection of webpages presented in Bahasa Indonesia.

Bilingual laughs with Om Tom

Those in Adelaide and Melbourne have the chance for some bilingual belly laughs at Learning Indonesian with Om Tom: not only a comedy show but an effort to build bridges between Indonesian and English-speaking communities. Om Tom will be appearing at the Melbourne Comedy Festival from 27-29 March, and at Adelaide Fringe on 3-4 March.

Indonesia Council Annual General Meeting

Our annual AGM will be held at the 2026 ASAA Conference at Deakin University in July. Members will be notified of the time and date of the AGM at least two weeks prior, and an online option will be available for those not attending the conference. Conference registration is now open.

At the AGM we will hold elections for positions on the Indonesia council executive committee. The process for nominations for office bearers of the Indonesia Council, including position descriptions, will be announced in the lead up to the conference, and nominations will be accepted up to 7 days before the AGM. Please contact iclistdata@gmail.com if you would like more information prior to the announcements.

Call for Papers

Yale Conference on Indonesia

The MacMillan Center for International and Area Studies at Yale’s Council on Southeast Asia Studies is calling for proposals from scholars, scholar-artists, activists, policymakers, and other interested parties to present on issues germane to Indonesia as it relates to the provocation above at our in-person conference on Saturday, April 18, 2026. We invite proposals that speak to the multiplicity of liquid states in Indonesia, water and other fluidities in their absence, arrested motions, and viscous becomings, moving beyond a conception of “flow” that often overdetermines archipelagic existence.

We invite those interested in presenting at Yale to submit a proposal by 11:59 p.m. EST on Saturday, February 21st, 2026.

For more information: Ways of Water: Drains, Viscosities, Leaks, Overflows, and Bursts in Indonesia

International Conference on Arts, Education, Psychology, and Social Science: Indonesian Perspectives

The Indonesian Community of the School of Education, UNSW Sydney will host the International Conference on Arts, Education, Psychology, and Social Science: Indonesian Perspectives (ICAEPSS 2026), on 26–27 June 2026 at UNSW Sydney, Australia.

ICAEPSS 2026 aims to provide a rigorous scholarly forum and a collegial space for critical dialogue and knowledge exchange across disciplines, with a particular emphasis on Indonesian perspectives situated within global contexts. The conference brings together researchers, educators, and practitioners to explore how arts, education, psychology, and social science intersect in addressing contemporary challenges and opportunities.

We warmly welcome abstract submissions (250–300 words) addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

Arts & Culture (heritage, creative industries, identity)
Education (technology, curriculum, policy)
Psychology (mental health, cognition, behaviour)
Social Science (governance, development, equity)
Registration is free for UNSW HDR students who are presenting.

Submission guidelines, the abstract template, and further conference information are available via: https://bit.ly/ICAEPSS_CallforAbstracts

Publications and Podcasts

Latest from Inside Indonesia

The latest issue of Inside Indonesia is dedicated to the stories of indigenous women leading “the fight to defend mother earth”, including Gunarti, a leader of the Samin movement in Central Java – perhaps the oldest social movement in Indonesia; Aleta Baun who leads a community in the Mollo region of West Timor; and Jull Takaliuang who leads a successful resistance to gold mines in and around Sangihe Island in North Sulawesi.

Latest from Ear to Asia

Episode 164 of the University of Melbourne Asia Institute’s Ear to Asia podcast features Dr Charlotte Setijadi speaking with multi-award winning forest conservationist Farwiza Farhan in an episode titled “Profit, Politics, and the Future of Indonesia's Rainforests”. They discuss whether Jakarta finally take forest protection seriously, and what reforms could steer investment toward already-cleared land, curb land speculation, and protect habitats close to collapse? How can accountability thrive when so many lawmakers hold stakes in extractive industries?

Latest from The Perantau Podcast

Our Digital Engagement Editor, Billy Adison Aditijanto, is keeping up the great work with The Perantau Podcast, which focuses on sharing stories from Australia's Indonesian diaspora.

The latest episode featured Billy in conversation with Sabrina Suwandi, a clinical speech pathologist and research assistant from Medan who works with children and assists research in the speech-pathology team at one of Australia's best children's hospital.

Stay tuned for more episodes coming this year and reach out to Billy if you know any interesting guests you'd like to see.

ACICIS Update

Acicis has just launched the Acicis Alumni Tracer Study Results for its first decade of cohorts (1995-2005). These years represent the consortium’s formative period of in-country study in Indonesia and provide valuable insight into the long-term outcomes of its earliest alumni.

The study offers the most comprehensive snapshot to date of the enduring value of an Acicis experience. Alumni were surveyed over a four-year period and Acicis achieved a strong response rate across cohorts, reflecting both the high levels of alumni engagement and the lasting significance of their time in Indonesia.

Read more here.