TALKING INDONESIA PODCASTSee all


Talking Indonesia: urban planning

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Rapid urbanisation poses many challenges for Indonesian policy makers, including traffic congestion, pollution, and a lack of parks and green space. How have Indonesian leaders responded to these challenges? What has been done to address heritage conservation amid this rapid change? In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Ken Setiawan discusses these issues and more with Professor Widjaja Martokusumo.

Bela Negara: thinly veiled militarisation of the civilian population

,
Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has been out talking up his ministry's Bela Negara program, which apparently aims to inspire a love for the homeland and protect it from "extreme ideologies". But is Bela Negara really about strengthening nationalism, or is it just another attempt to introduce compulsory military service? Bhatara Ibnu Reza takes a look at the program.

Indonesia at Melbourne is one year old! Here are our top posts

Last week marked one year since we launched Indonesia at Melbourne on 1 July 2015. Today we present a brief look back at our first year, highlighting the 10 most viewed blog posts and five most popular podcasts. We hope you have enjoyed the blog as much as we have enjoyed producing it.

Talking Indonesia: the South China Sea

, ,
The past month has seen rising tensions in the South China Sea. What are the implications of recent developments for Indonesia, and how can it best respond? Will Indonesia's relations with China be affected? Dr Dave McRae speaks to Dr Makmur Keliat, from the University of Indonesia, about these issues and more in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

Don't care how, I want it now! Who are kelas menengah ngehe - the awful middle class?

, ,
Indonesians often complain about kelas menengah ngehe, or the "awful middle class", on social media. But despite the ubiquity of the term, there is little consensus on how to define it. Who are the awful middle class? And what makes them so ngehe? Dr Salut Muhidin takes a look at the phenomenon.

Is neglect of Rohingya asylum seekers pushing them to join ISIS?

,
More than a year after 1,000 Rohingya asylum seekers arrived on the shores of North Aceh, few have been resettled in western countries. The fact that many Rohingya are poor and illiterate means they are not considered a priority. Lies Marcoes found that the global indifference to their plight may be driving them to join the Islamic State.

Sex or gender? Aming's challenge

,
Rumours of a "same-sex marriage" between comedian Aming Supriatna Sugandhi and Evelyn Nada Anjani in early June saw a return of the national hand wringing over sexuality that Indonesia witnessed earlier this year. Hendri Yulius writes that their relationship demonstrates the complexity of gender and sexuality issues and exposes the inadequacy of Indonesian policy to cope with this complexity.

Did humans cause the Lusi mudflow disaster?

,
For 10 years, hot mud has been erupting from the ground in Sidoarjo, East Java. It has submerged villages and displaced about 39,700 people, and disaster management costs have exceeded $2.7 billion. Earthquake expert Associate Professor Mark Quigley examines the origins of the mud volcano, which remain controversial after a decade.

Talking Indonesia: Islamic populism

, ,
Since the advent of democracy, Islam has become increasingly visible in Indonesian society and politics. But the electoral success of Islamic parties remains limited. How does this compare with the experiences of other Muslim-majority countries? Will Islamic parties ever be able to dominate Indonesian politics? Dr Ken Setiawan chats to Professor Vedi Hadiz about these issues and more in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

Talking Indonesia: urban planning

,
Rapid urbanisation poses many challenges for Indonesian policy makers, including traffic congestion, pollution, and a lack of parks and green space. How have Indonesian leaders responded to these challenges? What has been done to address heritage conservation amid this rapid change? In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Ken Setiawan discusses these issues and more with Professor Widjaja Martokusumo.

Bela Negara: thinly veiled militarisation of the civilian population

,
Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has been out talking up his ministry's Bela Negara program, which apparently aims to inspire a love for the homeland and protect it from "extreme ideologies". But is Bela Negara really about strengthening nationalism, or is it just another attempt to introduce compulsory military service? Bhatara Ibnu Reza takes a look at the program.

Indonesia at Melbourne is one year old! Here are our top posts

Last week marked one year since we launched Indonesia at Melbourne on 1 July 2015. Today we present a brief look back at our first year, highlighting the 10 most viewed blog posts and five most popular podcasts. We hope you have enjoyed the blog as much as we have enjoyed producing it.

Talking Indonesia: the South China Sea

, ,
The past month has seen rising tensions in the South China Sea. What are the implications of recent developments for Indonesia, and how can it best respond? Will Indonesia's relations with China be affected? Dr Dave McRae speaks to Dr Makmur Keliat, from the University of Indonesia, about these issues and more in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.

Don't care how, I want it now! Who are kelas menengah ngehe - the awful middle class?

, ,
Indonesians often complain about kelas menengah ngehe, or the "awful middle class", on social media. But despite the ubiquity of the term, there is little consensus on how to define it. Who are the awful middle class? And what makes them so ngehe? Dr Salut Muhidin takes a look at the phenomenon.

Is neglect of Rohingya asylum seekers pushing them to join ISIS?

,
More than a year after 1,000 Rohingya asylum seekers arrived on the shores of North Aceh, few have been resettled in western countries. The fact that many Rohingya are poor and illiterate means they are not considered a priority. Lies Marcoes found that the global indifference to their plight may be driving them to join the Islamic State.

Sex or gender? Aming's challenge

,
Rumours of a "same-sex marriage" between comedian Aming Supriatna Sugandhi and Evelyn Nada Anjani in early June saw a return of the national hand wringing over sexuality that Indonesia witnessed earlier this year. Hendri Yulius writes that their relationship demonstrates the complexity of gender and sexuality issues and exposes the inadequacy of Indonesian policy to cope with this complexity.

Did humans cause the Lusi mudflow disaster?

,
For 10 years, hot mud has been erupting from the ground in Sidoarjo, East Java. It has submerged villages and displaced about 39,700 people, and disaster management costs have exceeded $2.7 billion. Earthquake expert Associate Professor Mark Quigley examines the origins of the mud volcano, which remain controversial after a decade.

Talking Indonesia: Islamic populism

, ,
Since the advent of democracy, Islam has become increasingly visible in Indonesian society and politics. But the electoral success of Islamic parties remains limited. How does this compare with the experiences of other Muslim-majority countries? Will Islamic parties ever be able to dominate Indonesian politics? Dr Ken Setiawan chats to Professor Vedi Hadiz about these issues and more in the latest Talking Indonesia podcast.
NEWS & EVENTS

TALKING INDONESIA PODCASTSee all


EDITOR’S PICKSSee all

Prabowo’s foreign stooge myth: Are Indonesians buying it?

26 May 2026/by Djayadi Hanan, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/djayadi/, Yoes C Kenawas, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/yoes/

Indonesia’s social media ban for under-16s deprives many children of their only public space

19 May 2026/by Pradipa P. Rasidi, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/adip/

The new KUHAP: more kinds of evidence, fewer limits (Part 1 of 2)

12 May 2026/by Simon Butt, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/simon-butt/

Loyalty over expertise: The patronage problem at the heart of Prabowo’s foreign policy

21 April 2026/by Ahmad Syarif Syechbubakr, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/syarif/

Indonesia at Melbourne is supported by:

Melbourne Law School Asia Institute Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society Indonesia Forum Faculty of Arts Indonesia Democracy Hallmark Research Initiative

Indonesia at Melbourne

Room 726, Level 7, 185 Pelham St,
The University of Melbourne
Parkville 3010 VIC Australia

Phone: +61 3 83448581

Email:  indo-at-melb@unimelb.edu.au

Date created: 1 July 2015

Editor: Ary Hermawan

Editorial board: 
Professor Tim Lindsey
Dr Tim Mann
Aron Corbett

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated.

Phone:13 MELB (13 6352) | International: +(61 3) 9035 5511
The University of Melbourne ABN:84 002 705 224
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