Crawford School of Public Policy

The Indonesia Project would like to congratulate Chris Morris and Rani Dwi Putri on winning the Ruth Daroesman Graduate Study Grant.

We would also like to extend a big thank you to the family of Ruth Daroesman, without whom this opportunity would not be possible.

Chris Morris’ research seeks to contribute to the knowledge base on contemporary Indonesian governance by shedding light on the nature of politico-bureaucratic relationships at the subnational level and how they influence both policymaking and politics. Framed more broadly, it aims to deepen understanding of how subnational governments and political processes operate and, from that, what opportunities might exist to make them more effective and responsive. Insights from a young middle-income democracy such as Indonesia also have the potential to enrich the existing literature on politico-bureaucratic relations, which has traditionally been dominated by studies of Western democracies, and particularly the United States.

Rani Dwi Putri’s research examines how young women navigate the transition to adulthood through different schools of Islamic thought in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara. Bima is famous for its long history of diverse Islamic thought and practice. Today, there are a rich diversity of Islamic practices, ranging from conservative to liberal. Different schools of thought may influence young women’s choices in areas such as education, work and marriage. For example, in some communities, there may be social pressure to marry young. Rani will conduct an ethnographic field study investigating how young women from different Islamic backgrounds negotiate these choices as they move into adulthood, particularly how they express their agency and identity.

Chris Morris

Chris Morris is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political and Social Change, Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific. His research examines the nature of politico-bureaucratic relationships at the subnational level in Indonesia and their consequences for both policymaking and politics.

Chris has spent over 10 years in Indonesia working in the areas of local governance, access to justice and community development with the World Bank, UNDP, and DFAT-funded development programs. Other experience includes periods at DFAT in Canberra and as an articled clerk and solicitor at a large commercial law firm. Chris holds a BA(Hons)/LLB(Hons) from Monash University and an LLM from New York University.

Rani Putri

Rani Putri commenced her master of philosophy program in Anthropology, School Culture, History and Language, at College Asia and Pacific, The Australian National University in 2023. Before this, she worked with two of Gadjah Mada University (UGM)’s research institutions, namely the Youth Studies Centre (YouSure) and The Center for Security and Peace Studies (CSPS). At YouSure, she was a project officer who was responsible for managing campus-based events and initiating youth research projects. As a junior researcher at the CSPS, she conducted extensive research on women and terrorism in some places in Indonesia. In 2018, received her bachelor in Sociology from UGM, awarded best graduate from the department.