Media Release
8 December 2009
2009 POLICY RESEARCH FORUM
Top Australian and Indonesian researchers working together
Leading academics from Australia and Indonesia are today unveiling their joint research on priority governance issues as part of a pioneering Australian-funded collaborative research program.
Twenty prominent researchers from both countries are presenting new findings on a range of important policy issues at the third Australia-Indonesia Policy Research Forum in Jakarta.
Opening the forum alongside Indonesia’s National Education Minister, Mohammad Nuh, Australia’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Bill Farmer, said researchers from the two countries are working more closely than ever before on governance issues in Indonesia.
“By working in partnership, leading minds from Australia and Indonesia can support policy development in Indonesia and work towards addressing governance concerns,” Mr Farmer said.
“I also welcome the contribution this program will make to building links between young Indonesian and Australian scholars while supporting them to pursue research careers.”
Today’s forum is the key annual event for the Australia-Indonesia Governance Research Partnership.
The program strengthens public policymaking in Indonesia by supporting new governance research, promoting collaboration among leading academics and building local research capacity.
At the forum ten research teams are detailing new findings on climate change and food security, public financial reporting, local political parties in Aceh, insurance and social security, forest management and district-level lawmaking.
Participants in the forum include senior government officials, heads of international organisations and representatives from universities, policy think-tanks and the media.
Six young scholars from Indonesia and six from Australia have been selected under the partnership’s Young Scholars Program to participate in today’s forum, and present their research later in the day.
Media inquiries:
Natasha Simpson, AusAID Public Affairs, 0812 106 9106
Mia Salim, AusAID Public Affairs, 0812 107 0237