More than 350 researchers, students and community members will meet at the University of Melbourne for critical conversations about Indonesia across multiple subjects including the economy, law, health, religion, social movements, gender and sexuality.
The Indonesia Council Open Conference (ICOC) runs from 7-10 July and will feature more than 180 papers presented by Indonesian and Australian researchers.
The conference theme, 'Indonesia Now: Eighty Years of Independence', encompasses reflections on Indonesia's past and present as well as visions for its crucial future in the context of increasingly complex geopolitics.
Renowned environmental activist Farwiza Farhan, who has worked to protect the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra, one of the world's most biodiverse and ecologically significant tropical rainforests, will deliver the keynote address.
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Melbourne, Professor Jennifer Balint, said: "The University of Melbourne has long served as a bridge in the Australia-Indonesia relationship, welcoming Indonesian students and collaborating on research for nearly eight decades. Our campuses are enriched by Indonesian scholars, connecting the institution and student community to global and regional peers. We are honoured to host this year's Indonesia Council Open Conference."
The conference will also feature the fifth annual Australia-Indonesia in Conversation (AIC), a partnership with Universitas Gadjah Mada. This year's AIC focus is Indigenous Knowledge and the program includes an exclusive curator-led tour of the recently launched exhibition "65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art" at the Ian Potter Museum of Art.
Dr Ken M.P. Setiawan, senior lecturer in Indonesian Studies at the University of Melbourne's Asia Institute, will launch The Routledge Handbook of Human Rights in Southeast Asia with co-editor Professor Amalinda Savriani from Universitas Gadjah Mada during the conference. The handbook analyses some of the region's most pressing human rights issues and documents the actors and institutions working towards improvement.
Professor Michael Wesley, University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement), said: "We are committed to enabling and empowering our Indonesian partners and to strengthening the ties that benefit both our societies through the transformative power of research and education.
"The success of ICOC 2025 underscores the vital role universities play in bringing together diverse voices to address complex global challenges. By facilitating these exchanges of ideas and fostering people-to-people connections, the University of Melbourne continues to enhance the Australia-Indonesia relationship and strengthen its impact across both countries."
Learn more about ICOC here.
