Talking Indonesia

Researchers in Indonesia studying human society and its workings no longer operate under the strictures of the authoritarian era, when those working in the field of social science were expected to support the regime's policies. But do contemporary Indonesian social scientists enjoy the freedom to conduct socially relevant research on any topic of their choosing? How is their research funded, and how does the government view their work? More broadly, how does the entanglement of universities with the Indonesian state shape the work of social science researchers?

In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae chats with Dr Inaya Rakhmani , the founding director of Universitas Indonesia's Asia Research Centre , and the lead researcher of an 11-country study on mobilising social sciences in Southeast Asia and Bangladesh supported by the Global Development Network .

Today’s episode is the latest in the “Policy in Focus” series of Talking Indonesia episodes, supported by the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI), a partnership between the Australian and Indonesian governments that aims to improve the use of evidence in development policymaking. This series will appear periodically in alternate weeks to the regular Talking Indonesia episodes. The views expressed in this podcast episode do not represent the views of the Australian or Indonesian governments.

In 2022, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, and Tito Ambyo. Look out for a new episode every fortnight.

Photo credit: Aditya Pradana Putra for Antara Foto

Tito Ambyo - Supernaturalism online

Ghosts, spirits, kuntilanak, tuyul, and pocong. For most Indonesians these are familiar and, in some ways, even comforting companions from the supernatural realm. Ghost stories are passed down through generations, regardless of class, religion or belief system, and horror has long been a staple of Indonesian literature, art, film and television cultures. Across history, Indonesian leaders have claimed a mystic mandate, alongside political power, to rule. Supernaturalism or "horror stuff" is something of a national trait. 

In recent years, young urban Indonesian YouTubers have engaged an eager and growing audience, telling old stories in new, innovative and fascinating ways online. The continuing popularity of horror stories and their reimagining through the use of digital technologies highlights some of the ambiguities in Indonesia’s progressive and increasingly cosmopolitan nationalism.  

What is it about the supernatural that so captivates Indonesians? Why is YouTube a fertile platform for this thriving genre of entertainment? What can these videos and their creators tell us about how Indonesians see themselves, their society and the world at large? 

In the first episode of Talking Indonesia for 2022, Jemma Purdey talks to Tito Ambyo, a journalist and lecturer in journalism at RMIT in Melbourne, and a new host of Talking Indonesia this year. Tito is currently completing his PhD at RMIT’s Digital Ethnographic Research Centre on digital horror and storytelling in Indonesia. 

In 2022, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, and Tito Ambyo. 

Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight.  Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen via your favourite podcasting app.

Image: Son of Dad/YouTube.

Both the Indonesian government and universities have sought to increase the international outlook of the sector in recent years, for example, through proposals to increase the number of foreign staff working in Indonesian universities, and by tying pay and promotion to international publications. But there has also been disquiet about the restrictions and penalties imposed by Indonesia’s National System of Science and Technology Law (Law No. 11 of 2019).

How are Indonesian universities navigating this environment? What are they seeking from international collaboration? Do Indonesian universities face the sort of scrutiny and debate currently playing out in Australia over perceived foreign interference via research collaborations, especially with Chinese institutions?

In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, the final episode for 2022, Dr Dave McRae chats with Professor Panut Mulyono, Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) about Indonesian universities and international research collaboration .

Today’s episode is the latest in the “Policy in Focus” series of Talking Indonesia episodes, supported by the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI), a partnership between the Australian and Indonesian governments that aims to improve the use of evidence in development policymaking. This series will appear periodically in alternate weeks to the regular Talking Indonesia episodes. The views expressed in this podcast episode do not represent the views of the Australian or Indonesian governments.

The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Annisa Beta from the University of Melbourne’s School of Culture and Communication, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University.

Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight once Talking Indonesia returns in January 2022. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen via your favourite podcasting app.

Photo credit: Maulana Surya for Antara Foto

The COP-26 climate summit in November – the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – focused the world’s attention on the challenges of global warming and government responses to it. But what targets has the Indonesian government set for itself, how were these targets formulated, and did they change as a result of COP-26? Is the government united in its response to climate change? And does Indonesia have the capacity to implement its climate change response framework?

In this week's Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae discusses these issues with Dr Josi Khatarina, Senior Researcher at the Indonesian Centre for Environmental Law. From 2010 to 2014 Dr Khatarina was also a senior legal specialist at the Indonesian REDD+ Taskforce and Agency.

The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Annisa Beta from the University of Melbourne’s School of Culture and Communication, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University.

Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen via your favourite podcasting app.

Photo credit: Lukas for Biro Pers dan Media Kepresidenan

Road to 2024 - Philips Vermonte

The Indonesian government and General Elections Commission (KPU) have yet to agree on a date for the next legislative and presidential elections, which must be held by May 2024. Even though the concurrent elections are still more than two years away, with no incumbent candidate on the 2024 presidential ticket, gossip and speculation about potential contenders, coalitions and pairings is already well underway.  

As Indonesia looks toward 2024, what issues are expected to dominate campaigning? Who are some of the likely candidates to emerge in the battle for president, and what sort legacy is President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo hoping to leave behind?  

In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Jemma Purdey discusses these issues and more with Dr Philips Vermonte from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and International Islamic University of Indonesia (UIII). 

The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Annisa Beta from the University of Melbourne, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University.

Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via iTunes or listen via your favourite podcasting app.

Image: ANTARA FOTO/OKY LUKAMSYAH

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the most severe economic contraction since Indonesia's 1997-98 financial crisis, posing a stern challenge for recovery. Covid-19 struck amid a push by the Indonesian government to increase the role of science and technology in driving economic development. The government enacted a new Science and Technology Law in 2019, and has also formed a new National Research and Innovation Agency, known as BRIN.

In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Dave McRae chats with Professor Arief Anshory Yusuf, founding director of the SDGs Centre at Padjajaran University, about the economic impacts of Covid-19, Indonesia's likely trajectory for recovery, and the prospects for a transition as part of this recovery to a so-called knowledge economy - an economy based on the ability to produce and make use of knowledge.

Today’s episode is the latest in the “Policy in Focus” series of Talking Indonesia episodes, supported by the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI), a partnership between the Australian and Indonesian governments that aims to improve the use of evidence in development policymaking. This series will appear periodically in alternate weeks to the regular Talking Indonesia episodes. The views expressed in this podcast episode do not represent the views of the Australian or Indonesian governments. 

The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Annisa Beta from the University of Melbourne’s School of Culture and Communication, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University.

Photo credit: Yulius Satria Wijaya for Antara Foto

Please note that this episode discusses gender violence that some people may find disturbing or triggering. Listener discretion is advised.

Images have always played an important role in Indonesia, not just in everyday life, but also in its ever-changing political landscape. Terms like pencitraan (political image building) are commonly heard during election season. On social media, buzzers actively attempt to shape the public image of various social and political issues. Meanwhile, posters of murdered human rights activist Munir Said Thalib have become almost as iconic as the man himself.

What role do images play in political life in Indonesia? How do the public consume political imagery? Why do certain images gain political significance?

In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Annisa Beta discusses these questions and more with Karen Strassler, Professor of Anthropology at the City University of New York. Professor Strassler's work focuses on the social lives and political work of images, looking into the relationship between visuality and political imaginaries. Her recently published second book, "Demanding Images: Democracy, Mediation, and the Image-Event in Indonesia", investigates how public images affected the political arena during the turbulent period of political upheaval and technological transformation following the fall of Soeharto.

Image source: jendoelhadisantosa https://www.deviantart.com/jendoelhadisantosa/art/MUNIR-in-WPAP-308894220

Dr Robertus Robet – Academic Freedom

Recently, a number of high-profile cases have highlighted growing threats to academic freedom in Indonesia, amid a broader environment of shrinking civic space. Last month, the imprisonment of Dr Saiful Mahdi from Syaih Kuala University in Aceh, under the draconian Law on Information and Electronic Transactions (known as ITE Law), brought condemnation from academics and civil rights groups across Indonesia and abroad.

In the face of widespread agreement that authorities had overreached, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo eventually granted Saiful amnesty. But this was just one example of the pressure academics and students have faced under the Jokowi administration. And while the government has acknowledged the need for reform of the ITE Law, serious structural, legal and cultural restrictions remain in the higher education sector, and beyond. What is driving these limits on academic freedom? What has been the impact of the ITE Law on academic freedom? What topics are off limits, and are curbs on academic freedom part of Indonesia’s broader democratic decline?

In this week’s Talking Indonesia podcast, Dr Jemma Purdey discusses these issues and more with Dr Robertus Robet, head of sociology at the State University of Jakarta (UNJ), and a frequent contributor to Indonesia at Melbourne.

The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Annisa Beta from the University of Melbourne, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University.

Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via iTunes or listen via your favourite podcasting app.

Relevant links:

https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/attempts-to-revise-draconian-ite-law-stumble/

https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/luhut-reporting-activists-for-defamation-is-another-blow-to-freedom-of-expression/

https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/academic-freedom-another-victim-of-the-ite-law/

Image: ANTARA FOTO/ANIS EFIZUDIN

Last month, Time published its annual list of the 100 Most Influential People. Under the category of ‘Pioneers’, alongside pop star Billie Eilish, was an Indonesian scientist from the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM), Professor Adi Utarini.

Professor Utarini is head of the Eliminate Dengue Project at the UGM Faculty of Medicine, funded by the Tahija Foundation and run in collaboration with the World Mosquito Program at Monash University. In 2020, the team published the results of 10-year study, including a 3-year randomised controlled trial, examining the effectiveness of introducing Wolbachia bacteria into Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to reduce their capacity to transmit dengue. The findings of the research were described by the World Health Organisation as epochal and a breakthrough in the fight to eliminate dengue and potentially other mosquito-borne viruses.

This is particularly significant given that dengue affects almost 400 million people around the world annually and is described by WHO as one of the 10 greatest threats to world health. In Indonesia each year, an estimated 7 million people are infected.

In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Jemma Purdey talks to Professor Utarini about how she and her team in Yogyakarta conducted their study and what they discovered. Does this bring us a step closer to eliminating dengue?

In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Jemma Purdey talks to Professor Adi Utarini, Professor in Public Health and Project Leader of Eliminate Dengue Project Yogyakarta, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Gadjah Mada.

The Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute, Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Annisa Beta from the University of Melbourne, and Dr Charlotte Setijadi from the Singapore Management University.

Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via iTunes or listen via your favourite podcasting app.

Image: World Mosquito Program

Despite the fact that Indonesia’s deforestation rate reached a historic low in 2020, the social, cultural, and ecological wellbeing of people whose livelihoods depend on forests has continued to suffer greatly. The indigenous Marind people in Papua, for example, have seen 1.2 million hectares of their lands and forests targeted for oil palm and timber plantations as part of the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estate. This has led not only to food and water insecurity but also fundamental shifts in the food and eating habits of the Marind people. Why is this happening?

Joining Talking Indonesia for a second time is Dr Sophie Chao, postdoctoral research associate in the Department of History, University of Sydney. Dr Annisa Beta chats to Chao about her extensive work with the Marind people and the intersections of race, food, and development in Papua.

Chao has recently published articles on gastrocolonialism and on the political symbolism of the monkey from the perspective of West Papuan indigenous communities. Chao's first book, In the Shadow of the Palms: More-Than-Human Becomings in West Papua, was awarded the inaugural Duke University Press Scholars of Color First Book Award in June 2021 and is forthcoming with Duke University Press in June 2022. In her first appearance on the podcast in 2019, Chao spoke with Talking Indonesia co-host Dr Jemma Purdey about the violence, displacement, and dispossession experienced by the Marind people.

Chao previously worked for the international human rights organisation Forest Peoples Programme in the United Kingdom and Indonesia and has undertaken consultancies for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. For more information about Sophie, please visit morethanhumanworlds.com.