AUSTRALIA

Geopolitics 

• The Lowy issued a podcast: ‘Development Futures: Pat Conroy MP on Australia’s new international development policy’.

• ASPI issued ‘Same, same but different’: assessing ASEAN’s and the EU’s maritime strategies’. 

• The Lowy issued ‘Indonesia’s “golden visa” pitch to big-wheel investors’. 

Climate 

• Engineers Australia issued an oped: ‘Hard to hit net zero with a shrinking number of engineers’. 

• AgriFutures issued ‘Market development pathways for Australian primary producers in the transition to net zero’. 

• The Grattan issued ‘Why Australia urgently needs a climate plan’. 

• Minister Plibersek announced approval for a Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub. 

• CSIRO issued ‘Irreversible loss in marine ecosystem habitability after a temperature overshoot’.

GEDSI 

• Australia will have its referendum on Indigenous Voice this Saturday, 14 October. See a relevant article by the Lowy Institute here. 

• ACIAR issued ‘Fostering gender inclusion and equity: unveiling CultiAF’s impact’, on recognising the power of rural women. 

• The NCSEHE issued ‘Transforming Lives at the Institutional Level – Equity Promotion Initiatives Across the World’. 

Opportunities 

• The 25th Asian Studies Association of Australia biennial conference will be held on 1-4 July 2024 (postgraduate workshop on 1 July), hosted by Curtin University, Perth. The call for papers is now open.

INDONESIA

Research and Technology

• The BRIN is developing autonomous vehicles for enclosed areas such as airports and botanical gardens. 
• The BRIN signed a cooperation agreement with the National Institute of Technology (ITENAS) to enhance the quality of research, development, and technology application in disaster management.
• The BRIN’s Flight and Space Research Organization (OR PA) will collaborate with Telkom University to expand satellite research cooperation.
• The BRIN and USU inaugurated the Mangrove Ecology Research Collaboration Center (PKR) to produce globally reputed Scientific Papers (KTI), patents or other Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), guidance for doctoral students, and applicable academic manuscripts for policies.
• The Center for Research on Radioisotope Technology, Radiopharmaceuticals, and Biodosimetry (PRTRRB) of the BRIN conveyed their aims to enhance research activities related to the preclinical animal laboratories for the application of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals in Indonesia during the Expert Talk #Series4 event.
• People’s Consultative Assembly provided recommendations from the BRIN to encourage public universities (PTN) in Indonesia to open an Archaeology Study Program while considering the graduates’ connection to the job field.
• The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology presented the activities and work results related to education during Indonesia’s chairmanship in ASEAN and an evaluation of the mid-term implementation of the education work plan for 2021-2025.

Research and License

• The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology held the 2023 Cultural Congress from October 24 to 27, 2023. This event involved cultural experts to map out the long-term national development plan (RPJPN), which will be law in 2025.
• The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology will soon launch the Student Merdeka Exchange Program (PMM 4) for the 2023/2024 academic year.

     Research and Funding

• The LPDP provided Innovative Productive Research Funding (Rispro) of IDR 4.895 billion for the design and prototype of the Red and White High-Speed Train.
• BRIN is opening the second batch of the Degree by Research (DBR) program, a scholarship program to enhance the capacity of civil and non-civil servants through research, development, assessment, and application of science and technology.
• The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is funding several research to Indonesian universities, including utilisation of medicinal plants to prevent stunting, hypertension medication made from clams, a method for detecting mercury in liquid waste, development of eco-friendly action figures called Ferrumium, and edible straw from tofu waste.

      Research and Innovation

• The BRIN, the LPDP, and others collaborate with PT Kilang Pertamina Internasional (KPI) to develop Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from renewable feedstock.
• The Indonesian Biofuel Producers Association (APROBI) and several other agencies, including BRIN, supplied 11,203 liters of SAF for the successful ground test and flight test of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by Pertamina Patra Niaga using a Garuda Indonesia’s commercial aircraft.
• Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Gadjah Mada University (UGM), the BRIN, the LPDP, and INKA discussed the extension of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Train from Jakarta to Surabaya.
• The Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) appreciates the initiative of Papua University (Unipa) to establish a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Center.

Research and Women

• Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim has stated that the presence of the Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence (PPKS) can bring about positive changes in the university environment by issuing Ministerial Regulation No. 30 of 2021 concerning the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence in Higher Education.
• The Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI) states that violations of child protection in the education sector tend to increase every month in 2023. KPAI suggests many parties cooperate, both the government and the education sector, to address this situation.

Research and Disability

• Eight ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology and the National Commission on Disability, signed an agreement to implement the Violence Prevention and Handling in Educational Institutions (PPKSP) for an inclusive and safe learning environment.

Environment & Climate Change (ECC)

• Leaders of 32 archipelagic and island nations under the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum pledge solidarity to address climate issues threatening their coastal communities with concerns about reestablishing territorial boundaries due to land loss amid geopolitical tensions and territorial disputes.
• The Foreign Affairs Minister, Retno Marsudi, highlighted several climate change threats in archipelagic countries during the Archipelagic and Island States (AIS) Forum 2023 High-Level Conference. She emphasized the sustainability of the seas in archipelagic nations.
• Seagrass Carbon Converter (SCC), a web-based application developed in collaboration with the Oceanography Research Center of BRIN. The SCC calculates carbon reserves and absorption in seagrass beds, which are vital carbon sinks in coastal areas of AIS Forum-participating countries.
• Indonesia National Energy General Plan (RUEN) could create over 1 million jobs by 2050 for the energy transition. However, the current policy needs further reform to make the energy transition fair and reduce job loss.
• Widodo Setiyo Pranowo, a Senior Expert Researcher from PRIMA (Pusat Riset Iklim dan Atmosfer), ORKM (Organisasi Riset Kebumian dan Maritim), the BRIN, collaborated with the Marine Research Center from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) on research about Marine Waste.
• The Jambi 2 coal-fired power plant project became a case study in research by Inclusive Development International, Recourse, and Trend Asia to fight the coal project financings by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) that could accelerate climate change.

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Updates supported by Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA)