Congratulations to the 2025 Ruth Daroesman Graduate Study Grant recipients
The ANU Indonesia Project warmly congratulates Dyah Ayu Kartika, Sita Winiawati Dewi, and Dimas Irham Rabbani on receiving the 2025 Ruth Daroesman Graduate Study Grant. Their research spans a wide range of important issues in Indonesian studies, from gender politics and media to indigenous environmental governance.
Dyah Ayu Kartika is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political and Social Change at the Coral Bell School of Asia and Pacific Affairs. Her research, titled “Restraint and resistance: The pro and anti-gender movements in Indonesia’s declining democracy,” investigates how democratic backsliding affects gender politics in Indonesia. She focuses on state and civil society dynamics around women’s rights, family, sexual and reproductive health, and the protection of gender minorities.
Sita Winiawati Dewi is also a PhD candidate in the Department of Political and Social Change. Her research, “How independent journalists counterbalance mainstream media power in Indonesia,” explores how emerging, independent media outlets challenge dominant political and economic powers. By focusing on voices outside the capital, Sita aims to shed light on alternative media narratives that contribute to democratic resilience in Indonesia.
Dimas Irham Rabbani is a Master’s candidate in Environmental Management and Development at the Crawford School of Public Policy. His research, titled “The making of the environmental subject among Meto people of West Timor,” examines how the indigenous Meto communities respond to the establishment of Mutis-Timau National Park. Dimas explores how environmental governance intersects with identity and resistance in one of Indonesia’s most culturally and ecologically significant landscapes.
The ANU Indonesia Project extends our sincere thanks to the Ruth Daroesman family for their continued support of ANU students conducting research on Indonesia. This grant plays a vital role in nurturing the next generation of scholars committed to deepening our understanding of Indonesia’s social, political, and environmental challenges.
Image: Dyah Kartika (Kathy), second from the right, during a 'Kamisan' protest marking the state of emergency in Jakarta.