In recent years, many studies conducted by human rights organisations and think tanks have found civic space in Indonesia is shrinking, at least in the areas of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. The authors' recent research into the experiences of Indonesian civil society organisations corroborates this view.

In the post-Soeharto era, terrorist acts have drawn attention through a handful of small, but committed, jihadist organisations conducting targeted bombings. In this week's episode, Elisabeth Kramer chats with guest Dr Julie Chernov Hwang about how social networks facilitate entry into and exit from jihadist groups in Southeast Asia.

Joko Widodo’s recent trip to four African countries marked the first ever by an Indonesian head of state.So, what motivated such a high-level trip to Africa? Why did Jokowi choose to make such an historic visit at this stage in his presidency? What is the current state of Indonesia-Africa relations and what might Indonesia’s ambitions be for its future in the continent? In this week's episode Jemma Purdey chats with Dr Christophe Dorigné-Thomson who holds a PhD in Politics from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Universitas Indonesia.