Year: 2014

Welcoming Lieut General (Ret) Agus Widjojo to CAUSINDY 2014

Posted on by Grace Dong

aguswCAUSINDY is honoured to have Lieut General (Ret) Agus Widjojo joining the Defence and Security panel at this year’s conference. A highly prominent intellectual, General Widjojo has had much experience throughout the South-East Asia Region, holding a range of staff and command appointments in Indonesia. His research interests include security sector reform, the democratisation process and post–conflict reconciliation. CAUSINDY welcomes General Widjojo and we look forward to his contributions and insight on security issues for Australia and Indonesia.

About Lieutenant General (Ret) Agus Widjojo

Lieutenant General (Ret) Agus Widjojo graduated from the Indonesian Armed Forces Academy in 1970. He served tours as Staff Officer in the International Commission for Control and Supervision in Vietnam 1973, and in the Indonesian Battalion to the United Nations Emergency Force II in Sinai Middle East in 1975. He retired from active duty in 2003.

His two last active duty assignments before entering retirement were Chief-of-Staff for Territorial Affairs for the Commanding General TNI, and Deputy Speaker in The National Consultative Assembly representing the Military and National Police Faction.His works during his appointment as Chief of Staff for Territorial Affairs were closely related to the democratisation process and military reform in Indonesia in 1998 through 2004.

He holds Master’s degrees in Military Art and Science from the US Army Command and General Staff College, National Security from the US National Defense University, and Public Administration from George Washington University. He was a Deputy in the Presidential Delivery Unit as well as a commissioner in the Commission of Truth and Friendship Indonesia – Timor Leste. He currently sits as a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Peace and Democracy at Udayana University and Senior Fellow at CSIS Jakarta.

RMIT sponsors CAUSINDY 2014

Posted on by Heath Jamieson

rmitWith the Conference of Australian and Indonesian youth fast approaching, we’re pleased to welcome RMIT University on board as the latest sponsor for 2014 Conference of Australian and Indonesian Youth.

RMIT is a global university of technology and design and Australia’s largest tertiary institution. The university is highly regarded for excellence in professional and vocational education as well as outcome oriented research.

We look forward to RMIT playing a leading role in the delivery of the conference with such a strong international reputation. RMIT has two campuses in Vietnam, a presence in Europe, and delivers RMIT programs through a number of partners in the broader Asian region. Close to a third of RMIT’s 82,000 student population is international – with close to 20,000 studying outside of Australia.

RMIT offers Foundation Studies and Joint Degree programs in Management (and soon also Accounting) in partnership with UPH in Jakarta. The University is also actively investigating options for developing a stronger presence in Indonesia.

We are also excited to be joined by Professor Andrew MacIntyre, who will be interviewing a senior Indonesian diplomat in a panel called “Behind Closed Doors”. Andrew is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor International and Vice-President of RMIT University. He has published widely on Southeast Asian politics, international relations in the Asia-Pacific region and, more recently, enhancing universities. He was the founder of the Australia-Indonesia Governance Research Partnership, and serves on the editorial board of the Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies.

It’s not long now till we welcome Andrew and the delegates to Jakarta, and we’re thankful to RMIT for sponsoring of what will be a great conference.

AIYEP partners with CAUSINDY 2014

Posted on by Heath Jamieson

This week, we welcome the Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) as a partner of CAUSINDY and are excited to share the word of a long standing partner with a shared mission.

AIYEP is an initiative of the Australia-Indonesia Institute of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Canberra. The program aims to provide wider opportunities for young people from Indonesia and Australia to appreciate the culture, development and way of life of each other’s country. AIYEP builds groups of young and potentially influential people in both Australia and Indonesia who have knowledge and personal experience of the two countries and who develop close and enduring links with each other.

The program, in its 33rd year of operation, gives 18 Australians aged between 21 and 25 the opportunity to truly experience life in Indonesia. Participants undertake work placements and internships, cultural performances and visits to local schools and communities, all while living with local host families. Participants will also undertake a development project in a rural and remote village in Indonesia, working with and helping local communities on business and entrepreneurship, youth and education, and women’s empowerment activities.

Applications are currently being sought for this year’s program from exceptional young people and are open until 3pm AEST Thursday 28 August 2014.

Devianti Faridz to join Causindy

Posted on by Samantha Yap

CAUSINDY is pleased to announce that Devianti Faridz, Channel NewsAsia’s Jakarta correspondent, will be moderating this year’s Election Debrief panel session.

Devianti is a former journalist with Indonesia’s broadcasters, Metro TV and Televisi Republik Indonesia, and Voice of America-Indonesia in Washington DC. Among her most memorable assignments was her coverage of the plight of young Indonesian boat crew members who were detained in Australian prisons after being deceived by human traffickers.

She has interviewed key public figures including Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Devianti believes that Australian and Indonesian bilateral relations will be able to further grow under President-elect Joko Widodo’s leadership. “Unlike the older elite politicians, Mr. Widodo is seen as a humble man who holds a different perspective of governance and takes on a different approach to problem solving various social and economic issues. With this, the prospect of having a renewed and flourishing relationship between Australia and Indonesia exists in the future,” she said.

“In one of the Presidential Debates, Mr. Widodo has even proposed to build a better government, business and community ties with Australia through educational and cultural exchanges. But in order to build stronger ties, both countries need to treat each other with respect and properly address some hot button issues that if left unattended could fester and potentially harm future ties, including wiretapping allegations and asylum seekers issues.”

About Devianti Faridz

Devianti Faridz is Channel NewsAsia’s correspondent in Jakarta. She is a former journalist with Indonesia’s broadcasters, Metro TV and Televisi Republik Indonesia, and Voice of America-Indonesia in Washington DC. Among her more memorable assignments was her coverage of the plight of young Indonesian boat crew members who were detained in Australian prisons after being deceived by human traffickers. She has interviewed various key public figures in the world including Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid and former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

In 2011, Devianti Faridz was awarded Australia’s Elizabeth O Neill Award recognising high-achieving journalists dedicated to promoting mutual understanding of Australia and Indonesia through accurate and informed media coverage.

She is a Fulbright scholar and a Master of Arts in Broadcast Journalism graduate from the University of Missouri, USA. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Communications Design from Indonesia’s Trisakti University. For leisure, Devianti Faridz is actively involved in alumni activities that encourage cultural exchange and youth empowerment.

UTS:INSEARCH sponsors CAUSINDY to foster close relationships between Indonesia and Australia

Posted on by Heath Jamieson

insearch_logoUTS:INSEARCH is proud to be a Sponsor of CAUSINDY 2014. As the provider of the leading higher education pathway to the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), UTS:INSEARCH is deeply committed to encouraging the development of young people around the world, particularly through education and the exchange of ideas and knowledge.

UTS:INSEARCH Managing Director, Alex Murphy, is delighted to be involved with CAUSINDY, encouraging young professionals in Indonesia and Australia to form close ties and increase mutual understanding and respect, for the benefit of both countries.

“I have been very fortunate to have spent three years living in Indonesia while studying, and later teaching English,” says Mr Murphy. “This experience deepened my understanding of the profound value of building strong bilateral relations and enhanced my respect and appreciation for Indonesian culture.

“I have benefited enormously from my experience of living in Jakarta with an Indonesian family in my 20s and continue this commitment by encouraging Indonesian students to study in Australia, and by engaging with the business and diplomatic communities,” he says.

Mr Murphy has been invited to attend CAUSINDY in September and will be helping delegates to develop recommendations to contribute to the ongoing positive exchange between young professionals in Australia and Indonesia.

Mr Murphy also welcomed CAUSINDY’s Indonesian delegate, Mirza Natadisastra, to the impressive panel of young delegates attending the conference. As a graduate of the University of Technology, Sydney, Mr Natadisastra studied journalism in Sydney and is well positioned to bring insights from both countries to the forum’s discussions.

Mr Natadisastra is currently a research analyst at BowerGroupAsia’s Indonesia office, where he provides analysis, regulatory research, and supports IT, finance, and consumer goods companies. He assists companies to develop integrated in-country strategies aligned with their overall business objectives and geared at solving business challenges and operations. He helps companies to understand Indonesia better by building relationships with relevant government stakeholders. Mr Natadisastra has a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Technology in Sydney and a Master of Arts in Digital Media from London Metropolitan University.

About UTS:INSEARCH

UTS:INSEARCH is the premium higher education pathway provider to the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), one of Australia’s leading universities. We offer leading academic English programs, UTS Foundation Studies (on behalf of UTS) and a broad choice of higher education diplomas.  At UTS:INSEARCH our purpose is to bring university success within reach of more people around the world and we prepare international and Australian students to succeed at UTS.

Not only does the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) provide high quality, career-relevant education through innovative courses, excellent teaching and state-of the art facilities, it has been was awarded five stars (the highest possible rating) in the QS Stars system, which recognises excellence in higher education. The University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) is an innovative and practice-oriented university with an international outlook, situated in the heart of Australia’s global city of Sydney.

Delegates announced for CAUSINDY 2014

Posted on by CAUSINDY

Today, the CAUSINDY team is excited to announce the thirty young leaders who will join us for our second conference in Jakarta this year.

The Conference of Australian and Indonesian Youth is an initiative of the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association, with sponsors including the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales and Corrs Chambers Westgarth.

See this year’s delegates from Australia and Indonesia.

This year’s delegates will bring a diverse range of perspectives to CAUSINDY 2014, with experience in fields from biochemistry and international development to defence, law and public policy.

This year’s conference is based around the theme “Right time to reset: Learning from the old and bringing in the new” — in a year when the bilateral relationship has been marked by political turmoil, delegates emphasised the importance of personal experiences and the opportunity to develop a deeper more strategic relationship based around sharing knowledge.

ACICIS Resident Director Elena Williams says that the most important thing will be “forging meaningful relationships with each other that last”. Pandu Utama Manggala, an Indonesian diplomat, agrees. “I have seen that by interacting with each other [through] open and frank discussion, students are able to enrich each other’s understanding and perspective of the two countries, cultures, and peoples.”

Security analyst Fitri Timur says that trust is important “as a base for forging strategic partnerships especially in the security sector” while political risk and investment advisor Mirza Natadisastra says that by working together the two countries can develop a pool of knowledge across education, infrastructure, bureaucratic governance and trade”

In its second year, the CAUSINDY committee received a record number of applications, with more than 200 applications received from candidates in Australia and Indonesia.

Conference co-founder and director Karina Akib said, “As new leaders take their roles in both countries, young leaders will have the opportunity to shape its future. With President Jokowi taking office this October, the value of new ideas has never been greater.”

In 2014, CAUSINDY will present an exciting and diverse program, with high-profile speakers from government, business and academia including vice-presidential advisor Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Melbourne University’s Professor Tim Lindsey, John Riady, the director of Lippo Group and Chief Editor of Tempo Arif Zulkifli.

The conference is an initiative of the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association, itself led by a team of early career professionals from both countries. For more information, contact the team or visit our about page.

Jim Della-Giacoma to join CAUSINDY

Posted on by Grace Dong

JDG headshot (close cropped)CAUSINDY looks forward to welcoming Jim Della-Giacoma, who will be speaking on the Defence and Security panel at this year’s conference.

With his expertise in the South-East Asian region and experience across several different roles, we look forward to the insight and contributions Jim will bring to this year’s panel. Jim’s most recent research and writing has been related to Indonesia’s elections and democratisation process.

Jim is active on social media and collects his writing on his personal blog Reflections on Southeast Asia. You can also follow him on Twitter at @jimdella.

About Jim Della-Giacoma

Jim is currently a visiting fellow in the Department of Social and Political Change in the School of International, Political and Strategic Studies at the Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific.

In the last two decades, Jim has been a Reuters correspondent, UN official, and head of the International Crisis Group’s operations in Southeast Asia while based in Jakarta. He has studied Indonesian at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana in Salatiga and taken part in the Australia- Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) in Jambi in 1991-92.

A brief account of his time on AIYEP “Different Pond, Different Fish” was published in KYD Journal in April 2014. He is a regular commentator and essayist whose opinion pieces over the years have been also been published in CNN GPS, Crikey, Foreign Policy, Indonesia, The Lowy Interpreter, New Mandala, Nikkei Asian Review, Strategic Review Journal, and World Politics Review.

CAUSINDY welcomes the support of Cardno

Posted on by Heath Jamieson

cardnoCAUSINDY is excited to announce that Cardno has renewed its support for this year’s conference, coming on board in 2014 as a minor sponsor.

Cardno is an ASX200 professional infrastructure and environmental services company, with expertise in the development and improvement of physical and social infrastructure for communities around the world. Cardno’s Emerging Markets business works with a diverse range of international clients in the public and private sectors.

Cardno has an impressive history of operation in Indonesia that spans three decades. From its large corporate presence in Jakarta, Cardno manages three DFAT – Australian Aid flagship national development programs in the law and justice, local governance and education sectors, in addition to a number of infrastructure and water and sanitation engineering projects.

Given the breadth and depth of Cardno’s experience in Indonesia, we are very excited to have them on board again as a minor sponsor for CAUSINDY 2014.

John Riady vs John Denton: Doing business in Indonesia and Australia

Posted on by Karina Akib

We are pleased to announce that John Riady and John Denton will be taking part in CAUSINDY 2014 in a special debate which will explore everything from doing business in Indonesia and Australia, to navigating politics and attitudes towards investment. Both Johns have experience in the government, private and educational sectors, which will make for very interesting insights during the debate.

Mr Riady is Director of several companies across the media, property and investment industries, including Berita Satu Media Holdings, Lippo Group and as Editor in Chief of Jakarta Globe. He is also a prominent figure in higher education as Dean of and Professor of Law at Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH). CAUSINDY delegates can look forward to unique insights from Mr Riady on what it takes to build and run successful businesses in Indonesia.

As CEO and Partner of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Mr Denton has been involved in shaping the Australian Government’s policy on how Australia engages with its neighbours as an advisor on the “Asian Century” White Paper. He is also well versed in doing business in Indonesia and visits Jakarta regularly in partnership with Indonesian law firm Soemadipradja & Taher. Mr Denton was a speaker at CAUSINDY last year in Canberra where he entertained the audience with stories on negotiating trade deals and trying to solve humanitarian issues. We look forward to welcoming Mr Denton back to CAUSINDY in Jakarta.

About John Riady

John Riady is an Indonesian lawyer, professor, social entrepreneur, and businessman. He is currently Dean and Professor of Law at UPH (Universitas Pelita Harapan) Faculty of Law, one of Indonesia’s leading universities; Editor at Large of the Jakarta Globe, an Indonesian English language newspaper; Director of Berita Satu Media Holdings, a diversified Indonesian Media Conglomerate; and Director of the Lippo Group.

Born in New York City, John spent his early childhood in the United States, before returning to Jakarta at the age of four. John was educated at Georgetown University where he majored in Political Philosophy and Economics. He also received his MBA from the Wharton School of Business–graduating as a Palmer Scholar–and a Juris Doctor from Columbia University Law School.

John is also a member of the NY Bar Association, and serves as Chairman of KIKAS-KADIN (the United States Committee within the Indonesian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry), member of the Columbia University Law School International Advisory Board, and the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council.

About John Denton

Partner & CEO of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, John is a global leader in three arenas; a legal expert in the areas of government, workplace relations, and international trade and investment; a national business leader and an international adviser on global policy.

John is one of three Prime Ministerial representatives on the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC); a Board Member of the Business Council of Australia (BCA); a Board Member of Asialink and Asia Society; Chairman (emeritus) of the Experts Group on Trade and Investment in Indonesia; Chairman of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees Australia for more than a decade (among other important positions).

John was also an external adviser on the Federal Government advisory panel that oversaw the development of the ‘Australia in the Asian Century’ White Paper released in October 2012 and a member of the Australian Government Cabinet sub-committee for the Asian Century White Paper review process. He is now a member of the Strategic Advisory Board advising the Government on implementation of the White Paper and on emerging policy issues.

He is recognised as one of the best labour law practitioners in the Asia Pacific by Asialaw Leading Lawyers Survey and one of Australia’s best government and trade lawyers in the Best Lawyers peer survey.

Application deadline extended for CAUSINDY 2014

Posted on by CAUSINDY

Due to the overwhelming number of last-minute applications received for this year’s Conference of Australian and Indonesian Youth, the CAUSINDY team has decided to extend this year’s application period t midnight on Monday the 7th of July.

Submit an application →

Now in its second year, CAUSINDY 2014 will be our biggest program yet, with speakers including:

  • Professor Dr. Dewi Fortuna Anwar, the Deputy Secretary for Political Affairs to the Vice President of Indonesia and a prominent commentator on Indonesia politics.
  • Professor Tim Lindsey, Malcolm Smith Professor of Asian Law at the University of Melbourne and the Director of the Australia-Indonesia Institute.
  • Two leading figures in the Australia-Indonesia business relationship: Mr John Denton, the CEO of Corrs Chambers Westgarth, and Mr Chris Barnes, managing director of ICON Indonesia.
  • Mr Arif Zulkifli, the Chief Editor of Tempo Magazine and MrMichael Bachelard, Indonesia Correspondent for Fairfax Media.

CAUSINDY’s theme this year will be “Right time to reset: Learning from the old and bringing in the new“.

Start your application →

We look forward to your contribution!