Congratulations to the 2026 ANU Indonesia Project Student Research Travel Grant Recipients
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2026 Student Research Travel Grant: Anastasia Koo, Cameron Regan, Isabelle Rose, Katelyn Williams and Laura Mobini-Kesheh. Each has been awarded a grant to support their upcoming fieldwork in Indonesia. This year’s selection process was highly competitive, with proposals showcasing impressive research goals and strong engagement with Indonesian studies.
Anastasia Koo, from Murdoch University, will undertake research titled “Oral History in a North Bali Adat Community: Exploring how interview participants challenge notions of agency, authenticity, and intersubjectivity in ethnographic-based study through Adat frameworks of understandings, empowering marginalised Indigenous Indonesian communities”
Cameron Regan, from The University of Queensland, will conduct a project titled “Balancing community welfare and increasing land privatisation related to ‘surf tourism’ in coastal communities in Indonesia.” His research investigates the multi-faceted impacts of the increasing practice of land grabbing and privatisation for surf tourism development in coastal communities in Indonesia
Isabelle Rose, from The University of Sydney, will carry out research titled “People or Pipes: Repair Labour and Everyday Water Infrastructure in Bandung’s Kampungs.” Her research aims to examine how repair labour sustains everyday water infrastructure in Bandung’s kampungs.
Katelyn Williams, from The University of Sydney, will conduct a comparative study titled “Religion as a driver of populist discourse and its implications for the democratic trajectory of Indonesia.” Her research examines religion as a driver of populist discourse in Indonesia and its broader implications for democratic functionality.
Laura Mobini-Kesheh, from The Australian National University, will undertake research titled “In the shadow of boom: Local education development in East Halmahera, North Maluku.” Her project examines welfare outcomes in Eastern Indonesia against the backdrop of a boom in foreign investment for nickel-based industrialisation.
We congratulate these outstanding students on their achievements. Their work reflects the richness and diversity of Indonesian studies, and we are proud to support the next generation of scholars deepening our understanding of Indonesia through fieldwork and academic inquiry.
Image: Anastasia Koo during her fieldwork in Bali