Culture: Australian students demonstrate fluency in Indonesian language at NAILA 2026. The University of Queensland in Brisbane hosted the National Australia Indonesia Language Awards (NAILA) 2025 awards night on Saturday, 22 November. NAILA is a competition that recognises and promotes the development of Indonesian language learning in Australia.

The awards night announced winners across six categories: Early Primary, Upper Primary, Middle, Senior, Tertiary, and Executive. This year’s competition featured a sports theme. [SBS Indonesian]

In The News

On The Blog

  • People and Culture team have officially launched AIYA Volunteers of the Month Program! This initiative will allow AIYA volunteers to anonymously nominate a fellow volunteer who truly embodies our mission to Connect, Inform, Inspire. AIYA Volunteers, kindly check your email for the link.
  • AIYA Urges UTAS to Reconsider Closure of Indonesian Language Program – The Australia-Indonesia Youth Association (AIYA) has formally urged the University of Tasmania (UTAS) to reconsider its proposal to discontinue the Indonesian Language Program, which has been flagged for closure due to low enrolment and internal restructuring.
  • AIYA Annual 2024 is here! Reflecting on 2024, AIYA had a great year of growth in bridging Australian and Indonesian youth. Thank you to all our supporters, making sure AIYA continues to Connect, Inform, Inspire. We hope you enjoy reading our report from 2024!

Events

  • JOIN AIYA LANGUAGE EXCHANGE (IN-PERSON or ONLINE!) LX is back in multiple locations across Australia. Connect, chill, and converse with like-minded youth, meet new friends and engage in cross-cultural exchange. Make sure to follow your local chapter on Instagram for updates on the next LX event near you!
  • RANI JAMBAK – SOUNDS FROM SUMATRA IN MELBOURNE – We remain in deep sorrow with the situation of our brothers and sisters in Sumatra and Aceh. In these moments of grief for our brothers and sisters in Sumatra, we gather in Melbourne not only to share sound but also to hold space for listening, empathy, and solidarity. Through talks and performance, SOUNDS FROM SUMATRA IN MELBOURNE invites us to reflect on heritage, resilience, and the power of sonic memory. Let this be more than an event. It is a gesture of care, remembrance, and connection across distance.
    Performance: Inter.Sonix 06, Friday, 12 Dec – 7pm, Miscellania, Melbourne CBD. RSVP here.
  • Come and try playing Javanese Gamelan with AIYA ACT and ANUISA every Monday, @5.30pm in Room 630, Level 6 of the Llewellyn Hall at ANU.

Tune In

  • The Kangaroos haven’t lost a game since they fell to the Lions in the 2023 grand final, so can Brisbane end that streak in the year’s most important game? Listen here to know more.
  • The Rest Is History podcast back in Australia. It’s a chart topping podcast with millions of downloads around the world. Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland are distinguished historians — Oxford and Cambridge scholars, and bestselling authors. Listen here to learn more.
  • SBS Audio Program Bahasa Indonesia – Friday 28 November 2025. Listen here to know more.

Opportunities

We’re so excited to share our newest partnership: AIYA x Cinta Bahasa! 🎉🤝
All AIYA members can now enjoy 15% off Cinta Bahasa’s online or in-person Indonesian language classes! To register, simply log in to your AIYA membership dashboard > Resource Center > Cinta Bahasa.

  • Several internship opportunities are now available at ACICIS offices in Bandung and Yogyakarta!. Check out the available roles and their deadlines here.
  • NAILA is looking for our next DIRECTOR! 🎉.If you’re passionate, organised, and ready to lead, we’d love to have you join our team. 📅 Applications due date: Friday, 9 January 2026, 11.59 pm AEDT 👉 Apply today via this link
  • Volunteer positions for WIIS-A (Women in International Security – Australia) are available. They are looking for Communication officer and Events officer.
  • The Global Scholars Club is a new community helping underrepresented young people access international opportunities by sharing real stories, free resources, and practical insights from past scholars. We publish reflections and guides on our Substack – you can check it out here. 
    The founder, Billy Blackett, is particularly passionate about Indonesia, having participated in the Australian Indonesian Youth Exchange Program. He shares regular updates on opportunities and reflections via LinkedIn, and is always happy to field questions or provide application support as a Rhodes Scholar and alumnus of NCP and AIYEP. Connect with Billy for more insight!
  • Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is looking for several positions to fill with various closing dates. Click here for more information!
  • The Australian Volunteers Program matches skilled Australians with partner organisations across the Pacific, Asia, and Africa to support them to achieve their own development goals. If you’re interested in volunteering check-out a range of opportunities here!!
  • Indo Beyond Borders (IBB) is an Indonesian tutoring service, where language learning goes beyond the textbook. Join IBB and embark on an immersive learning experience that’s as dynamic and vibrant as Indonesia itself. Here to check more information
  • The Jakarta Bintangs is an Australian Football Club with membership open to anyone, beginners are most welcome. The club organizes games throughout the year, mostly in Jakarta, with occasional games across Indonesia and overseas. Tours are planned to Bali, Batam, Vietnam and Thailand this year. Training is mostly held at Lapangan Bola Aldiron in Jakarta on Saturday/ Sunday afternoons. On occasion, training sessions are also held Thursday nights in the GBK complex. To keep up to date with the training schedule follow them on Instagram @jakartabintangs. For more information click here.
  • The Australian Government is receiving applications for the Working Holiday Maker program that allows young adults to have a 12 month holiday, during which they can undertake short-term work and study. More info here
  • The Australian National University Indonesia Project is offering a number of grants and fellowships. Find out more about the opportunities such as Collaborative Research Grants, and Visiting Fellow Grants.
  • The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) helps grow Australia’s prosperity by delivering quality trade and investment services to businesses, accelerates growth in Australia’s tourism sector and promotes Australia’s education to the world. Find a list of available vacancies here.