Cucu Saidah has extensive experience in disability inclusion, having started her career in disability movement activism in 2003. She is experienced in various matters related to the rights of persons with disabilities through close collaboration with organisations of persons with disabilities, government and non-government organisations at local and international levels, the media, and the public in general. Starting with establishing the Bandung Independent Living Center (BILiC) as an organization of persons with disabilities, then Jakarta Barrier Free Tourism as a movement to build public awareness of infrastructure accessibility, she earned a Master degree in Public Administration and Policy from Flinders University in South Australia through the Australia Awards Scholarship. She is now a Disability Inclusion Advisor in Indonesia, providing advice or technical assistance in development and humanitarian sectors.

Testimony

“Let’s use KONEKSI as a vehicle to reduce social, knowledge and economic inequalities through working collaboratively with persons with disabilities and their organisations in an inclusive research way.” 

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Professor Lisa Cameron is an empirical micro-economist whose research incorporates the techniques of experimental and behavioural economics so as to better understand human decision-making. Much of her research focuses on policy evaluation – understanding the impacts and behavioural implications of public policy, with a focus on social and economic issues. She is particularly interested in the welfare of disadvantaged and marginalised groups and the socio-economic determinants of health. Much of her research to date has focused on developing countries, particularly Indonesia and China and she has extensive experience collaborating with agencies such as the World Bank and the Australian aid program (DFAT). Professor Cameron received her PhD from Princeton University in 1996 and was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Social Sciences in 2013. She was appointed the James Riady Chair of Asian Economics and Business in 2022 and made a Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Australia in 2023. 

Testimony

“I have learnt a lot through research collaborations with Indonesian researchers on issues around gender and social inequalities. The research benefitted from the differing perspectives of the various researchers and I benefitted personally from the relationships that developed. Through KONEKSI, I hope that many more Australian and Indonesian researchers will come together, learn from each other and in this way strengthen the ties between our two countries.” 

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Professor James J. Fox was educated at Harvard (AB ’62) and Oxford (B Litt. ’65, DPhil. ’68) where he was a Rhodes Scholar.  He has been a Professorial Fellow/ Professor at the Australian National University since 1975; he is also a Foreign Fellow of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and past President of the Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils (2020-21). 

Professor Fox’s area of primary interest is the anthropology of Indonesia, with special focus on Java and eastern Indonesia, particularly on rural development and resource management; the study of social organisation and symbolic systems; linguistic anthropology; and comparative Austronesian studies. 

Testimony

“This first round of KONEKSI’s efforts has involved a multi-level rapid but rigorous assessment of hundreds of diverse research proposals resulting in the selection of a core set of research grants on critical aspects of climate change. The resulting research will knit together the research communities of Indonesia and Australia in important collaboration over the coming years. The Technical Review Committee was in involved in the final stages of the assessment process and will continue to monitor this research as it takes shape. As a member of the Technical Review Committee, I am looking to the future.” 

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An Indonesian national, Professor Vedi Hadiz was an Australian Research Council Future Fellow in 2010-2014. He received his PhD at Murdoch University in 1996 where he was Research Fellow until he went to the National University of Singapore in 2000. His research interests revolve around political sociology and political economy issues, especially those related to the contradictions of development in Indonesia and Southeast Asia more broadly, and more recently, in the Middle East. 
 
Professor Hadiz is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. He has been a visiting scholar in the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in France, the International Institute of Social Studies in the Netherlands, the Centre of Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Kyoto, the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology – Delhi and the Department of Sociology at the University of Indonesia, where he is also an Adjunct Professor. 

Source: Prof Vedi Hadiz (unimelb.edu.au)

Testimony

“I was happy to be part of an assessment process that could help create a framework for ongoing substantive research cooperation between Indonesian and Australian institutions. Such cooperation will not only contribute to quality knowledge production but also improved relations between Australian and Indonesian institutions and their researchers.  It is a win-win for both countries.”

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Dr Teguh Rahardjo received his bachelor’s degree in engineering from Universitas Indonesia in 1986. He then received his Master (1993) and Doctorate degree in Engineering from Yamanashi University, Japan in 1996.   

Dr Teguh Rahardjo was executive director for the Indonesia Science Fund (2016 – 2021). Prior to this appointment, he was a senior advisor on Defence Technology Affair for the Minister of Research and Technology (2013 – 2015) and has served as Deputy Minister of Research and Technology (2008 – 2013), also member of National Research Council (2011-2013) for defence technology field. Dr Rahardjo was a council member of Southeast Asia Science Advice Network (2020 – 2022). 

Testimony

“It was surprising me that there were so many good and qualified proposals submitted to the KONEKSI’s PILOT round of proposals. This scheme provide  equal opportunity to both Indonesian and Australian researchers to lead and coordinate the collaboration. I do believe the collaboration will be benefit for both countries and strengthen the scientific network and cooperation.“

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Dr Siscawati received her Bachelor’s degree in forestry from Institut Pertanian Bogor. She has a Master degree in Sustainable International Development focusing on Gender and Development from Brandeis University, Waltham and both a Master degree and a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Washington, Seattle.

 Dr. Siscawati is currently serving as one of the country coordinators for collaborative research on peatland sustainable livelihoods in Indonesia between University of Melbourne, Universitas Indonesia, and the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation. She served as Indonesia’s team leader of collaborative research between the Institute of Sustainable Future at the University of Technology Sydney, Universitas Indonesia and PLAN International on gender, water, sanitation, and environmental health in Indonesia during 2018-2021. She has served as a member of the advisory board for international collaborative research projects, including: a) research on agricultural policy to support natural resources in Indonesia’s upland landscapes in 2018-2022 hosted by University of Adelaide and supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research; b) a collaborative project supported by the Swedish International Development Agency that facilitates a research network and community of practice dedicated to expanding and applying knowledge on forest landscape governance in seven countries in Southeast Asia.

She has been serving as GESI advisor for Samdhana Institute and Landesa Indonesia.  She also serves as a founding member of Rimbawan Muda Indonesia (an environmental NGO), a member of the expert committee for PEREMPUAN AMAN, a member of Advisory Board for Kalyanamitra, and a member of Supervisory Board for Institut KAPAL Perempuan of 2023 – 2026.  She is the recipient of Ashoka Fellowship in 1996-1999 and Kartini Award in 2009.

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Professor Tim Smith is a human geographer focused on coastal management, water governance, and climate change adaptation. Prior to recently accepting the Dean position at Lincoln University, he held an Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellowship and was a core researcher with the Sustainability Research Centre and the Australian Centre for Pacific Islands Research, at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Professor Smith is also an Adjunct Professor with Brock University, Canada, an Adjunct Professor with Southern Cross University, and a Senior Research Associate with Uppsala University, Sweden. He is also currently co-Chair of Future Earth Coasts, and Executive Editor of the international journal Ocean & Coastal Management.

Prior to accepting the ARC Fellowship, Professor Smith was the Executive Dean for the Faculty of Arts, Business and Law. He also initiated research measures that increased research quantum, quality and impact by emphasising existing areas of strength in sustainability, forestry, human factors, Indigenous studies, and the arts; as well as other areas of critical significance to communities such as sexual violence. He was also the faculty lead on strategic university imperatives including student wellbeing and planning of the new Moreton Bay campus precinct.

Before joining UniSC, Professor Smith was a senior research scientist with the CSIRO. He has also led the social sciences and education portfolios of 2 national research centres (Coastal and Catchment Hydrology CRCs). Professor Smith has also worked at Griffith University and UNSW, for local and state government, and in the private sector.

“The KONEKSI pilot round is supporting cutting-edge research that will not only significantly advance our knowledge on some of the most pressing issues facing society and the planet but also deliver meaningful bilateral impact”.