Indonesia’s high rate of COVID-19 infection has not stopped people from refusing to be tested, largely because of employment concerns and fear of ostracism.

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In the news

  • Rich Brian invites fans to add their own effects to the music video for his new single, “Love in My Pocket.” Many have already jumped at the chance and showcased their creations on social media! Will you add your own flair to his music video? (The Jakarta Post)
  • Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, is leading a research project to understand and manage fall armyworm (FAW), a transboundary pest threatening crop production across Southeast Asia and Oceania. Hopefully, this research will help many farmers, including in Indonesia! (CSIRO)
  • Private hospitals and clinics in Indonesia are charging patients up to $1450 for a coronavirus test, more than three times the monthly minimum wage. The testing is free in Indonesia only if a patient presents with symptoms at a government hospital. (Sydney Morning Herald)
  • Did you know that Premodern Javanese wrote down their history for at least one and a half millennia? In his latest article, Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan examines the practices of writing in Java and nearby societies, particularly on material aspects and consequences for the development of Javanese history. (The New Mandala)
  • With global travel slashed to a bare minimum, study abroad programs were among the first Australian organisations to feel the economic impact. Student exchange programs are enormously valuable, a tool for soft diplomacy. Iona Main argues that putting study abroad on ice carries a diplomatic cost. (The Interpreter)
  • CSIRO will work with Indonesian research partners to strengthen Indonesia’s pandemic preparedness and response and accelerate joint research outcomes related to COVID-19. Hebat ya! (CSIRO)

Events

  • Every Sunday (13:00 WIB/4pm AEST) – Online or ‘Flexible’ Language Exchange (FLEX) is run in partnership with our friends from the UniBRIDGE Project. FLEX is the place where young Australians and Indonesians can meet to exchange ideas, make friends and practise their language skills. Join and be a part of this growing online movement between our two nations. Current AIYA members can register their FLEX account at: universitybridgeproject.org, if you are not yet an AIYA member or need to renew your membership you can do so on the website.
  • 28 July – Momentum, developed by DFAT’s New Colombo Plan is running a webinar called ‘Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Why we need more women leaders.’ The webinar will include former AIYA SA Chapter President, Hannah Brimstone. Webinar starts 1pm AEST. More info here.
  • Darwin, 30 July – AIBC NT are delighted to invite you to attend a Business Breakfast welcoming the new Indonesian Consul to the Northern Territory – Pak Gulfan Alfero. The event will take place at Hanuman Restaurant at 7:30pm. More info here.
  • 1 August – Save the date! AIYA Victoria will be live-streaming their Indomie cooking event on Facebook! The event will take place at 7pm AEST/4pm WIB. Check it out here.
  • 2 August – Join NAILA X AIYA on their second virtual Kahoot game! This time, the theme will be health. So brush up on your health knowledge that you got during the pandemic (in both Indonesian and English) and flex it on the Kahoot game. Sunday 2 August, 2:30 WIB/5:30 AEST, Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8892 7385 Passcode: 149826
  • 3-5 August – Join Sydney Southeast Asia Centre for their 8th ASEAN Forum. This year’s forum will focus on responses to COVID-19 across ASEAN countries. The event will take place entirely online. View the program here.
  • 6 August- Join AIYA WA Ngobrol Santai “Daily Life during the pandemic in Australia and Indonesia” on Zoom! The event will take place online, at 6pm WA time/ 8PM AEST/ 5pm WIB. Register here.
  • 7-10 September – As COVID-10 has wreaked havoc everywhere and shows no signs of entirely abating, how will this affect Indonesia? Join ANU Indonesia Project’s Webinar conferences on ‘Economic dimensions of COVID-19 in Indonesia: responding to the crisis.’ Register here.
  • AIYA Victoria has uploaded its second episode of Martabak Vegemite! In this episode, Diandra Priambodo challenges Reza Sulaeman to cook a unique recipe of Indomie. The catch? The recipe is completely in Indonesian and Reza’s Indo is kurang bagus. Will he succeed? Check it out here!
  • Suara Indonesia Dance are hosting online Indonesian dance classes via zoom. They’re held on Friday nights between 6:30pm – 7:30pm AEST. All ages and levels welcome. Read more and book via paypal here.
  • Kremes Podcast provides lovers of Australia and Indonesia with a chance to listen to a range of Aus-Indo topics from casual chats about our shared cross-cultural experiences to more informative discussions like tips on living/studying/working in Australia. Listen here.
  • Indonesia Project Global Seminar – ANU’s Indonesia Project is bringing you a weekly series of seminars on COVID-19 right to your living room. Join in for live discussions or surf through the archives of previous seminars

COVID-19 support

  • ACICIS needs your help! With international travel bans in place, ACICIS’ existence is under threat. As a result they have launched a fundraising appeal to raise funds to help preserve ACICIS in both Australia and Indonesia. We understand that these are tough economic times, but with your support, we hope they can make it to the other side of this pandemic. To read more about the appeal and to donate, click here.
  • The Directorate General of Immigration in Indonesia has announced some changes for Foreign Visitors in Indonesia regarding visas, stay permits, emergency stay permits, entering and existing Indonesia in the new normal. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta have highlighted such changes in their social media. Please follow information on the Indonesian immigration website for more info.
  • There have been some changes for returning travellers to Australia. These changes include that the number of incoming passengers will be restricted to ease pressure on quarantine facilities and some states have also begun to charge travellers for hotel quarantine, including NSW and QLD. More info here.
  • AIYA is providing updates on the status of COVID-19 and its impact on upcoming AIYA events as well as the current status of travel restrictions for Australian and Indonesian citizens. To keep updated, read it here – bahasa Indonesia and English. AIYA is also aware that some of our members may be going through difficulties due to the circumstances of the pandemic. Government information including support for international students in Australia and Indonesia is on the website.

Opportunities

  • Applications for the National Australia Indonesia Language Awards (NAILA) 2020 Competition are open NOW! This year’s theme is HEALTH! Check out their website for more information regarding dates & categories! Apply now!
  • Stay tuned! The ReelOzInd! 2020 Competition is accepting entries until 1 August. The competition theme this year is ‘energi/energy’. Understandably, many filmmakers may be limited in some ways, but hopefully isolation can provide the perfect opportunity for your creativity to flourish! Find the Call for Submissions Trailer on YouTube here.
  • AIYA is working in collaboration with AASYP, ACYA and AJYD to present the Indo-Pacific Student Mobility Youth Dialogue, a new initiative to bring together students and graduates of Australian universities to discuss the future of international education and mobility. The dialogue will encourage the participants to reflect on and provide practical recommendations for improving overseas study programs. The dialogue is scheduled for 26 August on zoom. Applications are open and will close Sunday 2 August.
  • In commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Indonesia Independence, the Indonesian Embassy, Canberra is organising a virtual Indonesian speech contest. The submission period ends on 27 July. For more info click here.
  • The Centre for Strategic and International Studies are seeking interns for their fall term for a duration of 10-16 weeks. The internship will follow CSIS’ hybrid office policy. The internship is open for 3rd or 4th year undergraduate students or fresh graduates. Application closes 30 July. More info here. 
  • Do you or someone you know deserve recognition for achievement as an Asian-Australian leader? The Asian-Australian Leadership Summit is looking for exceptional young people making a difference in their communities, demonstrating excellence in leadership and a commitment to Australia’s engagement with Asia. Application closes 14 August. Apply here.
  • AIYA members are invited to participate in a UWA study which investigates word selection in bahasa Indonesia. The study involves completing an online task filing word gaps in bahasa Indonesia sentences. More info here.
  • Have you got some stories to share about Southeast Asia? Pitch an idea to The Sydney Southeast Asia Centre. SSEAC is looking for a breadth of disciplinary focus including history, law, political science, agriculture, medicine, among others. For more info click here.
  • Scholarships are available from the Chulabhorn Graduate Institute and ASEAN Foundation Joint Post-graduate Scholarship Programme in Science and Technology. The scholarships are available for ASEAN nationals (except Thai) who are interested in pursuing masters at Chulabhorn Graduate Institute. Send your application before 30 October 2020. More info here.
  • Difabel Kerja is a recently-launched participatory film project related to employment for people living with a disability in Indonesia. The four films in the Disability Learning Series are available copyright-free for streaming and download for any positive use by any business or organisation. Check it out.
  • ACICIS is inviting all of its alumni to join the all-new alumni platform. It is packed with new features such as alumni directory, jobs and opportunities page, events page, interest-group pages, as well as other exciting features that will be added regularly. To sign-up, please visit their alumni website here.
  • Inside Indonesia publishes original pieces on a wide range of political, social, environmental and cultural issues in Indonesia. They accept articles from a diverse range of people who have an interest in Indonesia. To find out how to contribute, click here.
  • Looking to upskill during self-isolation? Some Australian universities are offering a range of free online courses covering areas such as cyber security, climate change, business data analytics, digital marketing, mental health and many more. These are accessed through the website Future learn and Class Central.

Like what we do? Want to join or support your local chapter to contribute to our exciting activities? Sign up as an AIYA member today!