AUSTRALIA

Climate change

• OECD Publishing released a report on transitions to the greening economy, examining the likely effect of public policies on workers  
• The Lowy issued ‘Whether EVs or solar panels, protectionism has the same distorting effect’.

Digital transformation

• The ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society released a report entitled ‘Building a trauma-informed algorithmic assessment toolkit’.
• An article in The Medical Journal of Australia emphasised the unintended consequences of telehealth in rural and remote Australia through a complexity lens
• AgriFutures issued information on digital tools for rice growers to improve productivity and water use efficiency
• The Lowy issued ‘Indonesia’s digital drive gets big tech backing’. 
• The DTA issued ‘How we shape digital government on the world stage’.

GEDSI

• The Productivity Commission issued “A snapshot of inequality in Australia: Research Paper”
• DFAT invited nominations for a pilot First Nations Trade and Investment Advisory Group. 
• Gender Equity Victoria and the Victorian Women’s Health Services Network released “Advancing gender equality in Victoria: A gender analysis of the 2024-25 state budget”
• The Lowy issued ‘Indonesia, and the origins of a decolonialisation movement that swept the world’.

INDONESIA

Research and Technology

• BRIN collaborated with the National Money Printing Company (Perum Peruri) to develop a digital human-machine interface platform. Peruri has requested BRIN to digitise its activities related to sustainability.

Research and Innovation

• BRIN, in collaboration with Charles Sturt University and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, showcased the fishway technology at the 2024 World Water Forum.
• Indonesian and Australian pharmaceutical companies, backed by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, the BPOM, BRIN, and the Australian government, pioneered the clinical trials for the world’s first synthetic antibiotic.
• The Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, through the SDGs Action Awards (SAA) 2024, aims to achieve the SDGs targets by 2030 as a leverage point to reach Indonesia Emas 2045.

Research and Funding

• The Indonesia Global Compact Network (IGCN) supports the next generation of innovators through the Sustainable Development Goals Innovation (SDGI) Accelerator for young professionals.
• The complete schedule for disbursing the 2024 School Operational Assistance (BOS) fund, totaling IDR 57.54 trillion, to 419,218 educational units through the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is divided into two stages, with the first stage from January to June 2024.

Environment and Climate Change (ECC)

• BRIN is advocating for cross-sector collaboration to manage Indonesia’s lakes, emphasising the importance of stakeholder alignment and multi-disciplinary approaches to address the diverse challenges facing each lake.
• The 10th World Water Forum in Bali highlighted Indonesia’s efforts, hosting discussions on water management, showcasing the Bali Basin Champions Agenda which includes the Twin Basin Initiative (TBI), a global programme of capacity building and experience exchange working on integrated water resources management.
• BRIN and the Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) are preparing an expedition to investigate the megathrust zone, including those most vulnerable on Sumatra Island.
• The Coordinating Ministry for Maritime Affairs and Investment, BRIN, the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and the Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas launched the International Tropical Seaweed Research Centre (ITSRC) in Badung Regency, Bali.
• BRIN, in collaboration with the Steering Committee for the Conservation of National Priority Lakes, has inaugurated the use of the lake information system called “SI DANAU” during the 10^th World Water Forum.
• BRIN stated more than 300 invasive species have spread throughout Indonesia. Moreover, based on the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) data as of July 2021, invasive plant species invaded over 50% of the 54 KLHK-managed National Parks.

Research and Women

• BRIN South Kalimantan Province successfully passed the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Women Innovators & Entrepreneurs Lab – Indonesia programme to support the improvement of Human Resources (HR) in Intellectual Property.

Research and Licenses

• BRIN signed three Licensing Agreements with industry partners to commercialise research outcomes and accelerate the transfer of innovations to the industrial sector. This initiative empowers researchers to generate intellectually competitive works in technological advancements.
• The Deputy for Regional Research and Innovation, along with the Population Research Centre of BRIN, is providing pilot assistance to six regions, including the Musi Banyuasin (Muba) Regency. The study conducted by BRIN aims to provide policy recommendations to the local government to address poverty in the area more effectively.

Research and Disability

• Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), observed every May 16, aims to ensure that digital literacy is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities like dyslexia. Narenda Wicaksono, a technology education entrepreneur, highlighted the importance of providing digital literacy access to individuals with dyslexia.

Updates supported by Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA)