The Victorian Government Trade and Investment (VGTI) office in Southeast Asia marks a series of milestones reinforcing the strength and depth of Victoria's long-standing partnership with Indonesia.
Spanning creative industries, education, and institutional collaboration, these developments reflect a shared commitment to innovation, talent development, and regional engagement.
Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, has a population of more than 270 million people, with a median age of around 30, offering a dynamic and growing talent base. Its digital economy is projected to exceed USD 130 billion by 2025, driven by growth in gaming, e-commerce and digital content. The country's creative economy contributes over 7% to GDP and employs more than 17 million people, highlighting strong potential for collaboration with Victoria's globally connected industries.
Victoria is Australia's leading education state, home to more than 10 globally ranked universities and over 300,000 international students, contributing more than AUD 14 billion annually in export income. Melbourne is recognised as a leading global student city, renowned for its world-class universities, affordability, liveability and cultural diversity. Victoria's creative economy also contributes over AUD 30 billion annually and employs more than 300,000 people across screen, design, music and digital sectors, making it a strong partner for Indonesia's expanding creative and education industries.
A strategic alliance for Indonesia's creative future
A key milestone is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between RMIT University and Indonesia's Ministry of Creative Economy (EKRAF), positioning RMIT as a strategic partner in advancing Indonesia's digital games ecosystem.
Witnessed by Victoria's Commissioner to Southeast Asia, Naïla Mazzucco, the agreement reflects sustained engagement and trust-building. RMIT Vice-President International Layton Pike and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Mish Eastman played key roles in formalising the partnership, which will expand collaboration across games, film, animation, music, digital technology, cultural arts and design.
This MoU reflects Victoria's commitment to building skills, fostering knowledge exchange and connecting industries across borders. It also builds on earlier engagement with EKRAF, including the Indonesian Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy's visit to Melbourne in 2022.
Bringing the VCE to Indonesia's next generation
Complementing this progress, BPK PENABUR Bandung High School entered into a strategic partnership in November 2025 with Haileybury Australia and PPPK Petra High School. This collaboration enhances education quality through international curricula and expanded student and teacher exchange programs, including pathways to the
Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), strengthening Victoria's education presence in Indonesia.
The Yogyakarta–Victoria partnership enters a new era
At the institutional level, the longstanding partnership between the Special Region of Yogyakarta and the State of Victoria has been reaffirmed through the renewal of a Memorandum of Understanding, marking nearly a decade of cooperation across education, culture and creative industries.
A new campus bringing Melbourne's culinary expertise to Bali
Further momentum is reflected in the launch of the International Hotel & Management School (IHMS) Culinary Campus in Bali, in collaboration with Melbourne Polytechnic.
The campus delivers Melbourne Polytechnic's commercial cookery curriculum, enabling students to graduate with dual certification recognised locally and globally.
This initiative supports skills development, workforce readiness and long-term education collaboration.
Sustained partnerships and a shared future
Together, these initiatives demonstrate the strength of sustained partnerships and shared ambition. Victoria and Indonesia continue to build meaningful, future-focused collaborations that drive innovation, creativity and mutual prosperity.
Looking ahead, Victoria remains committed to strengthening these collaborations not only in Indonesia, but across Southeast Asia. By leveraging its strengths as a leading education hub and a dynamic, globally connected economy, and by partnering with fast-growing markets like Indonesia, Victoria will continue to deepen regional ties, foster people-to-people links, and support emerging sectors across the region.
