Indonesia Council Digest – May 2025
Happy May!
It’s a short and sweet newsletter this month, as the Exec team focuses its efforts on the forthcoming Public Speaking Workshop on 29 May (registrations close 22 May) and supporting the organisers of ICOC 2025 as they prepare for the conference in July.
I am writing this as our Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, makes a whistlestop visit to Indonesia en route to the Pope’s inauguration. It is heartening to see the PM continuing this semi-tradition of making Indonesia the first visit post-election, and no doubt there will be more to come on the outcomes of the visit (apart from the tantalising detail that President Prabowo Subianto dropped in for a chat at Albo’s hotel the night before formal talks! Pics please!).
I did delight in the choice of gifts between the two leaders – an Australian-made horse bridle and the book Refugees and Rebels – Indonesian Exiles in Wartime Australia by Jan Lingard for Prabowo, who in turn gifted these absolutely darling doggie collars to Australia’s first dog, Toto. [Breaking news: there was also a cat involved – do not miss this video of Bobby . No doubt there were also some actual policy discussions but the dog and the cat antics got us all distracted].
We’re featuring Ayu Siantoro, one of our two postgraduate bursary winners this month, so do take a moment to get to know her in our Meet our Members section. And we also encourage you to read the Asian Languages Pledge, which we are proud to endorse.
Natali
ACICIS statement: UTAS Plan to Cut Indonesian Language Program
The Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) has strongly criticised the University of Tasmania’s proposal to axe its Indonesian language program, warning that it undermines national efforts to build stronger ties with Southeast Asia.
ACICIS Director Liam Prince called the move “strategically incoherent,” especially in light of the federal government’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040, which stresses the importance of regional literacy and capability.
He also urged the government to restore long-term funding for Asian language education in schools, warning that without rebuilding the pipeline, universities will continue to lose capacity.
ACICIS has launched a national initiative – the Pledge for Asian Languages in Australian Schools (which you can read below) – and is calling for broad consultation before any final decision is made by UTAS.
Read the full statement here.
Asian Languages Pledge
The Asian Languages Pledge was endorsed by the ACICIS National Reference Group on 30 October 2023 and endorsed by IC on 7 April 2025 in the lead-up to the Australian federal election. The pledge calls on policymakers to:
Create a national policy and strategy to increase the diversity of language learning in Australian schools.
Renew a systematic, national approach to the teaching Asian languages in Australian primary and secondary schools.
Restore funding for the teaching of Asian languages in Australian schools:
bring back federal funding for the teaching and learning of Asian languages in Australian schools at a level of $20 per Australian school student per year – equivalent to the level prevailing between 1995 and 2002; and
create new funding sources for the teaching of Asian languages in Australian schools through state and territory governments, not-for-profits and the private.
It is amazing to witness the growing list of supporters for the pledge, which you can see, along with the full Pledge, here. If you are in a capacity to obtain institutional support for this Pledge, we encourage you to get in touch with the good folk at ACICIS.
What’s happening
Celebrating Indonesia's cultural visionaries
Culture by Design at the Salihara Arts Center Jakarta. Photo by the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. Used with a CC BY 2.0 license.
The Australian Embassy in Jakarta recently hosted a showcase of Indonesian fashion and design talent, highlighting the creativity and innovation of Indonesian designers on an international stage.
It is part of a new series on ABC, Culture by Design, which promises to introduce us to “creatives who are pushing the boundaries of sustainable, innovative, and ethical design, and in doing so, tackling global challenges like climate change, resource scarcity, and social inequality”, including in Yogya.
It made for some great visuals!
Other cool stuff
ReelOzInd! Short Film Festival
ReelOzInd! 2025 is Open for Submissions! This year marks the 10th edition of the ReelOzInd! Short Film Festival, themed IMAJINASI. Submissions are open via FilmFreeway, and the festival will run from late October through December. Watch the call for submissions trailer here, or contact the organisers if you are interested in hosting a pop-up screening.
Research on ancient Java's economy
ICYMI: IC member Jarrah Sastrawan recently presented on how royal authority, land tenure, and trade were structured through the institution of the benefice in ancient Java. Catch up on the recording here.
Indonesia Council Annual General Meeting
The 2025 Indonesia Council AGM will be held during the ICOC Open Conference in Melbourne from 12:45–13:45 on Wednesday 9 July, in a hybrid format. The AGM is open to all financial members of the Indonesia Council. Members will receive further documents and details on physical and online attendance via email in the coming weeks. During the meeting we will be confirming the previous AGM minutes and presenting 2024–2025 activity reports. There will also be an opportunity to discuss upcoming plans and the Council’s strategic direction.
Not a member yet? You can join here. Membership starts at just $20 per year, with discounts for students, casual staff, retirees and Indonesia-based academics. High school and undergrad students join for free.
Opportunities
Australia–Indonesia Youth Exchange Program
Applications are now open for AIYEP, the Australia–Indonesia Youth Exchange Program that has connected young leaders across both countries through culture, collaboration, and community since 1982.
AIYEP brings together 21 Australians and 21 Indonesians (ages 21–25) for a hybrid exchange program combining online learning, in-person immersion, and collaborative leadership. Participants gain intercultural skills, real-world experience, and a lifelong network.
Join the info session today, 20 May, to find out more.
Social Media Marketing volunteer
The Nusa Tenggara Association (nta.org.au) is an NGO that has been working with farmers and schools in rural eastern Indonesia for 30 years. They are currently seeking volunteers to assist with their social media marketing, especially tech-savvy young people interested in Indonesia-Australia relations. The volunteer role would suit university students with Indonesian language capacity.
Read more about the opportunity here.
Publications and Podcasts
Is government red tape the only thing stopping future Indonesian filmmakers?
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. A new episode has dropped on Spotify and Youtube in English, featuring Billy in conversation with Kennardi Sebastian who works out of The University of Melbourne's Southbank campus as their virtual production operator.
Billy talks to Gracia Sharlene next, out tomorrow on 21 May, as she takes a long sabbatical off work to rethink her career in banking and explores her 'love-hate' relationship between Melbourne and her home town of Bandung.
Fossils uncovered on the Madura Strait
Exciting news from the field of prehistoric archaeology, published in the Journal of Quaternary Environments and Humans, which redefines our understanding of Southeast Asia’s prehistory.
For the first time, Homo erectus fossil fragments, along with 36 taxa of animal fossils have been discovered beneath the seabed of the Madura Strait, Indonesia — shedding light on how early humans thrived across the now-submerged plains of Sundaland 140,000 years ago. The find includes traces of active hunting and unique ecological adaptations, suggesting that Homo erectus was more widespread and resourceful than previously believed.
As researchers note, this milestone is not only a scientific achievement but a call to further explore Indonesia’s underwater archaeological potential beyond shipwrecks — into the realm of deep-time human history. The fossils are now curated at the Geological Museum, Bandung.
Indonesia's nickel mining and EV battery production
Meanwhile, the latest edition of Inside Indonesia focuses on mining, with timely insights into the environmental, social, and geopolitical stakes of critical mineral extraction. Highlights include Mahesti Hasanah on the creation of a “sacrifice zone” in Sulawesi for nickel mining (read in English or Bahasa Indonesia) and Lian Sinclair on the (unlikely) potential for Indonesia and Australia to collaborate on EV battery production.
Review: How to 'really' stop a mine
You can also read a review by Gerry van Klinken of Lian’s new book Undermining Resistance, drawing out lessons for ‘How to 'really' stop a mine’ (in English and Bahasa Indonesia)