About the Indonesia Update
The Indonesia Update is the largest annual conference on Indonesian society outside of Indonesia and dates back to 1983. Held in September, it is organised by the ANU Indonesia Project in collaboration with the ANU Department of Political and Social Change. The Indonesia Updates are designed to provide comprehensive overviews of developments in Indonesia and to present wide-ranging discussions on a theme of particular interest each year. They cater to an audience that includes government officials, academics, teachers, members of business and non-government organisations, students and others.
Over its four decades, the Indonesia Update has welcomed an extraordinary array of guest speakers: finance ministers, central bank governors, climate scientists, civil society leaders, and world-class academics. From Ross Garnaut and Mari Pangestu to Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and Gareth Evans, the conference has consistently attracted voices at the heart of Indonesia’s policy and intellectual life.
Each year, the Update delivers the Political Update and Economic Update—authoritative, must-hear accounts of the year’s developments—alongside panels exploring a central theme, from democratisation and decentralisation to inequality, gender, climate change, and digital transformation. Leading academics are invited to convene the conference, shaping the theme and curating the program to reflect Indonesia’s most urgent and relevant debates. This tradition has ensured intellectual rigour, originality, and policy relevance across four decades of Updates. Here is a list of the past five conference themes and convenors:
- 2025 Navigating climate change in Indonesia: Mitigation and adaptation pathways. Convened by Daju Resosudarmo and Budy P. Resosudarmo
- 2024: How Jokowi changed Indonesia: Convened by Sana Jaffrey and Eve Warburton
- 2023: Governing urban Indonesia: Convened by Edward Aspinall and Amalinda Savirani
- 2022: Gender equality and diversity in Indonesia: identifying progress and challenges. Convened by Angie Bexley, Sarah Dong and Diahhadi Setyonaluri
- 2021: In sickness and in health: diagnosing Indonesia. Convened by Firman Witoelar and Ariane Utomo
You can watch recordings, access slides, and other information from past Indonesia Updates (2001 - 2024) on our online archive. All papers delivered at the Indonesia Update are subsequently published in an Indonesia Update Series book.
2025 Indonesia Update: Navigating cliamte change in Indonesia: Mitigation and adaptation pathways
The 42nd annual Indonesia Update conference, held over the weekend (12-13 September) at the Australian National University, brought researchers, policy makers, civil society representatives and students together to examine Indonesia’s pathways for confronting climate change via mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development. The conference centred on Indonesia’s dual challenge: to reduce emissions and adapt to climate impacts, while also preserving social justice and economic growth.
Experts from both Indonesia and Australia addressed both the successes and obstacles in implementing climate policy in Indonesia. The conference was formally opened by Professor the Hon Gareth Evans AC KC, who reflected on the event’s four-decade history as the largest annual forum outside Indonesia for informed debate on Indonesian affairs, and on its role in strengthening people-to-people ties between the two nations.
Among the most closely watched sessions were the Economic Update by Mari Elka Pangestu and Shiro Armstrong, the Political Update by Liam Gammon, and major keynotes by Mark Howden and Ross Garnaut. Over 350 people attended the conference in-person, with a Zoom audience in excess of 750 and over 2,000 people watching the livestream. The conference emphasised that policies alone are not enough: effective governance, funding mechanisms, local implementation, and community engagement are crucial.
Congratulations to Daju Resosudarmo and Budy Resosudarmo for convening this year's conference, “Navigating climate change in Indonesia: Mitigation and adaptation pathways”. A warm thank you to all who presented, attended, and supported the conference. We are excited to see you again at the next Update. Together, we look forward to a stronger future for climate action in Indonesia.
Recordings of the entire conference in both English and Bahasa Indonesia langauge can be found on the ANU Indonesia Project YouTube channel
- Access session resording and slides here
- Access the 2025 conference program here
- Access the 2025 conference booklet here
Learn more about this years conference at our event page: https://crawford.anu.edu.au/event/indonesia-update-2025
Indonesia Update 2026 Preview
At the close of this year’s conference, Dr Eva Nisa (ANU) announced that she and Professor Julian Millie (Monash University) will convene the 2026 Indonesia Update, themed “The Pluralisms of Islam in Indonesia.” Highlighting Islam’s diverse voices, Eva Nisa described Indonesia’s Islamic experience as “a Netflix series with multiple plotlines.” The conference will examine interfaith diplomacy, religion and politics under President Prabowo, gender and LGBTQIA+ rights, youth and social media, Islamic finance, and “green Islam” in climate action. Eva Nisa promised a program that will be sharp, surprising, and provocative, inviting audiences to join next year’s important conversation.