Australia and Indonesia university research program to expand across Sulawesi

A research program that brings Australian and Indonesian universities together to tackle important issues such as climate change is being expanded to include more locations and universities in Sulawesi.

Following a successful pilot of the Partnership for Australia-Indonesia Research (PAIR) in South Sulawesi, the Australian and Indonesian governments are jointly investing 125 billion rupiah to expand research across Sulawesi — an island which is home to five of Indonesia’s six fastest-growing provinces.

This innovative agreement marks the first time the governments of both countries have co-invested on an equal basis to deliver research findings and create long-lasting connections between our educational institutions and importantly, our peoples

The funding follows the meaningful results delivered by PAIR over the last four years such as working with provincial and national officials to inform the framing of a roadmap for a more sustainable seaweed industry and providing recommendations on reducing microplastics in coastal environments.

As Sulawesi’s economy develops with more jobs in manufacturing, tourism and other industries, PAIR will underpin this growth by providing robust evidence and solutions. The program will also investigate the opportunities and impact for Sulawesi on the building of Indonesia’s new capital.

The PAIR program is led by the Australia-Indonesia Centre (AIC) under the lead agency of Monash University in Melbourne, while PAIR Sulawesi is based at Hasanuddin University, in the city of Makassar, continuing a strong partnership.

The continued support for the PAIR program aligns research with both government’s national priorities. It engages with the vision of the Australian government’s new International Development Policy and the Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 and the Indonesian government’s National Long-Term Development Plan (2025-2045) and the National Research Master Plan (2017-2045).

Quotes attributable:

Dr Eugene Sebastian, Executive Director, AIC
“We have been working hard over the past four years to deliver a program that assists policymakers and local communities. We are delighted that both national governments are supporting PAIR’s expansion and look forward to working on important challenges with our university partners.

ABOUT THE AIC

The Australia-Indonesia Centre is a consortium of leading research universities in both countries. Its mission is to advance people-to-people links in science, technology, education, innovation and culture.

The AIC is the lead agency for the Partnership for Australian Indonesian Research (PAIR) program. More information on research projects can be found here.

Partner universities:

Australia – Monash University, University of Queensland, Melbourne University
Indonesia – Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Universitas Airlangga, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Universitas Hasanuddin

National plans referenced:
Australia’s International Development Policy, August, 2023
Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040
Indonesia National Long-Term Development Plan (2025-2045)
Indonesia National Research Master Plan (2017-2045)

Information and media contact
Helen Brown
Lead, Communications and Outreach
Mobile and WA + 61 417 359 177 and +62 811 190 5033

helen.brown@australiaindonesiacentre.org

Feature image by Universitas Hasanuddin.