The Indonesia Democracy Hallmark Research Initiative seeks to build a cohesive Indonesian studies community at Melbourne, create new collaborations between scholars working on Indonesia, democracy or Islam, and boost external recognition of Melbourne's Indonesia expertise. As policymakers, law enforcement agencies, aid agencies and scholars struggle to meet the challenge of 'Indonesia rising', this initiative will provide rigorous analysis of Indonesia's democratic system and how Islam interacts with liberal democracy.
A review of research on Indonesia at Melbourne has identified democracy in that country as the overarching theme relevant to the work of scholars across many disciplines. Indonesia has sought to present itself as bucking a broader trend of authoritarian reversal, belying pronouncements regarding the supposed incompatibility of Islam and democracy. Understanding the key dynamics of governance in Indonesia is now a pressing need, given concerns about the quality of Indonesia democracy in recent years have been accompanied by rising Muslim conservatism that seems to reflect wider regional and global Islamist movements.
This initiative seeks to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of Indonesian governance in comparative context, developing insights into both the function of its democracy and the comparisons with the broader Islamic world. In this way it will strengthen and expand interdisciplinary partnerships and build recognition internationally for our work on democracy and religion in Indonesia.
[Banner image source: 'Tempo' magazine. Photographer: Iqbal Lubis]
Initiative Chair
Professor Tim Lindsey
Melbourne Law School
Dr Dave McRae
Asia Institute
Dr Helen Pausacker
Melbourne Law School
Associate Professor Linda Bennett
Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
Professor Vedi Hadiz
Asia Institute
Associate Professor Kate McGregor
History and Philosophical Studies
Professor Andrew Rosser
Asia Institute
Professor Adullah Saeed
Asia Institute
Dr Ken Setiawan
Asia Institute
Initiative Deputy Chair
Academic Convenor
Steering Committee (alphabetical)
[Banner image source: 'Tempo' magazine. Photographer: Iqbal Lubis]
The Indonesia Democracy Hallmark Research Initiative will focus on three themes in Indonesian democracy: POLITICS; RIGHTS; and ISLAM AND DEMOCRACY.
The Initiative will:
- offer collaborative research grants on a competitive basis each year, to fund joint research projects with external Indonesian collaborators
- bring leading Indonesian public or scholarly figures to Melbourne every year to work with colleagues here and present to the public - with three visits in each of the first two years and two in the third
- present three annual research workshops - one for each cluster - and co-host an annual series of seminars in partnership with centres and schools in Arts, Law and other faculties
- support the Indonesia at Melbourne blog.
[Banner image source: 'Tempo' magazine. Photographer: Iqbal Lubis]
2019 Round
The Indonesia Democracy Hallmark Research Initiative will offer collaborative research grants on a competitive basis each year, to fund joint research projects with external Indonesian collaborators that deal with the key Initiative themes: Politics; Right; and Islam and Democracy.
The round is now open and closes on Tuesday 30 April 2019.
- Guidelines 2019 - Download PDF 132KB
- Application Form - Download Word doc 49KB.
Applications should be sent to the Initiative's Academic Convenor, Dr Helen Pausacker, email h.pausacker@unimelb.edu.au
For more information about the Indonesia Democracy Hallmark Research Initiative, please contact
- Academic Convenor: Dr Helen Pausacker
t. +61 3 8344 1082 (Mon-Thu) | e. h.pausacker@unimelb.edu.au
OR, if you have questions or comments in relation to the Hallmark Research Initiatives program, please email: hallmark-initiatives@unimelb.edu.au