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Research Themes

BIES Journal

The Indonesia Update series

PhD Supervision

ANU Indonesia Project Research

The ANU Indonesia Project is a leading centre for research, policy development and graduate training in the Australia-Indonesia region. Since 1965 we have produced and disseminated high quality research and have been recognized for our ongoing role in informing Indonesian economic and social policy development.  Our research focuses on:  

  • Trade and industry 

  • Rural development, environment and resource economics 

  • Politics, media and governance 

  • Social policy and human capital development 

  • Gender equality and social inclusion 

Research Themes
Trade and development

Trade and development

Research on trade and development has long been a high priority for ANU Indonesia Project staff and PhD students. This includes studies on trade policy, the political economy of protection, export performance, Indonesia in the regional and global economy, and the structure and performance of the private sector. 

Subtopic themes 

  • Trade, poverty, and inequality 

  • Economic integration 

  • Political economy of trade policy 

  • Trade liberalisation and its socio-economic impacts 

  • Export behaviour and firm productivity 

  • Private sector development 

Agriculture

Agriculture, resources and the environment 

The Indonesian economy remains dependent on agriculture, resources and the environment, which provide a livelihood for many Indonesians. Research on this theme looks at economic, political and social dimensions of Indonesia’s agricultural expansion, resource extraction, and environmental impacts and policies. 

Subtopic themes 

  • Development and the environment 

  • Energy, air pollution and climate change 

  • Technological progress and agricultural development 

  • Small islands economy 

  • Economics of natural disasters 

City buildings at night

Politics, media and governance

This area covers critical issues regarding democratic governance and politics in contemporary Indonesia. Major research projects focus on critical institutions, such as the presidency, parties and parliaments. Others focus on underlying social dynamics, such as religion and ethnicity, and their interaction with the political sphere. 

Subtopic themes 

  • Political party financing and reform 

  • Decentralisation 

  • Political clientelism, patronage politics and vote-buying 

  • The politics of Islam in democratic Indonesia 

  • Media and politics 

Indonesian masks

Social policy and human capital

The topic aims to investigate the challenges and risks faced by Indonesian households in their efforts to improve their welfare, using the analytical lens and tools that pay attention to gender equality, disability inclusion, and well-being of the disadvantaged and marginalized groups. 

Subtopic themes 

  • Health equity and financial protection 

  • Long term impacts of economic shocks on health outcomes of children 

  • Poverty, labour markets and trade liberalisation 

  • Efficiency and effectiveness of decentralized public spending in health and education 

  • Gender equality and social inclusion 

  • Welfare impacts of community-driven development programs 

Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies (BIES)

The Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies (BIES) is the leading journal on Indonesia’s economy and society. It aims to address economic analysis and policy and the intersection between economics, development and area studies. In doing so, it plays an important role in helping the world to better understand Indonesia.

In addition to general articles reporting economic analysis and research, each issue begins with the latest Survey of Recent Developments, which records and analyses current trends, policy changes and important economic events in Indonesia. The series aims to be reasonably accessible to non-specialists and helps to account for the journal’s diverse readership within academia, government and business, as well as among the broader public.

BIES is published in print by the Taylor Francis Group, under its Routledge imprint, and also at Taylor & Francis Online. Housed in the Indonesia Projecy in the Arndt–the late Professor H. W. Arndt founded Corden Department of Economics at the Australian National University, BIES. It has been published continuously since 1965.

The Centre for Strategic and International Studies publishes BIES for distribution in Indonesia.

Follow the journal on Twitter and Facebook.

BIES
BIES

Information for authors

The Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies (BIES) invites submissions for upcoming issues. We seek high-quality research articles on topics including but not limited to the following themes: 

  • International Trade, Firms and the labour Market
  • Digitalisation of the Economy and Its Impacts on Firms and Households
  • Children and Long-Term Outcomes
  • Economics and Social Consequences of Population Ageing

Researchers are encouraged to submit papers that bring fresh insights into these areas. For submission details and guidelines, please see our instructions for authors. You can also find tips for intending contributors here. 

BIES Cover December 2024
BIES Cover December 2024

Latest BIES Journal

The December 2024 edition of the BIES is available online, including a free-to-access Survey discussing Prabowo’s ambitious plans for economic growth, human capital development and institutional reform.  You can access the journal via the Taylor & Francis website here.

BIES Survey
BIES Survey

Survey of Recent Developments

Each issue of the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies leads with an instalment of the comprehensive Survey of Recent Developments series, which records and analyses current trends, policy changes and important economic events in Indonesia. The series aims to be reasonably accessible to non-specialists and helps to account for the journal’s diverse readership within academia, government and business, as well as among the broader public.

The Survey series as a whole provides a fascinating and detailed history of the development of the Indonesian economy since mid-1965.

You can read the December 2024 survey here.

The Indonesia Update series

The Indonesia Update series, organized annually since 1988 by the ANU Indonesia Project, is designed to be an authoritative review of developments in Indonesia. Each year’s Indonesia Update conference focuses on a particular theme and brings together an expert group of commentators and scholars from Indonesia, Australia, and elsewhere.  

Since 1994, the annual proceedings, revised and edited by specialists, have been published by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore. Books can be purchased from the ISEAS bookshop.

A full archive of all Indonesia Update series publications can be found at our online archive.

Indonesia Update recent publications
On
Governing urban Indonesia

Governing urban Indonesia

Urbanisation has brought with it a familiar range of problems, including some of the worst traffic jams and air pollution in the world, housing scarcity, periodic flooding and dramatic land subsidence
Gender equality and diversity in Indonesia: Identifying progress and challenges

Gender equality and diversity in Indonesia: Identifying progress and challenges

This book is based on papers delivered at the 2022 Indonesia Update conference convened by Angie Bexley, Sarah Dong and Diahhadi Setyonaluri.
In Sickness and In Health: Diagnosing Indonesia

In Sickness and In Health: Diagnosing Indonesia

Despite significant improvements, many chronic problems in Indonesia’s health system including financial sustainability, governance and inequities in accessing health care have long been apparent.

PhD Supervision

The ANU Indonesia Project is Australia’s leading centre for research, policy development and graduate training in the Australia-Indonesia region. Our research and networks have helped promote economic development and improve citizen welfare in Indonesia since 1965, and we have produced some of Indonesia’s leading policymakers, including Ministers and senior policy advisers. Our work makes a critical contribution to building the next generation of Indonesianists.

As Australia’s leading research centre for graduate training on the society and economy of Indonesia, our academic staff supervise a number of PhD students every year.

Are you looking to start your PhD?

You can find information about undertaking a PhD program at the Crawford School of Public Policy here.

If you are looking for a PhD supervisor from the Indonesia Project, you can read more about our academics and their research here.

Current PhD Supervision

The ANU Indonesia Project academic team supervise an outstanding list of students across the ANU.

Meet some of our current students
Riandy Laksono
Riandy Laksono