Southeast Asian Studies
Postgraduate Research 2009 Overview
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Indonesia and Australia are inextricably linked through geography and common regional interests. Consequently, graduates with a deep understanding of Indonesia are in demand both in Australia and overseas in the fields of government, international agencies and non-profit sector organisations.
The department of Indonesian Studies evolved from the former department of Indonesian and Malayan Studies, which was the first Australian university department to specialise in the study of Indonesian languages and societies. The department emphasises the importance of providing a rounded education in Indonesian Studies, producing graduates who have both language skills and significant country knowledge.
Academic staff have expertise in areas such as Indonesian history, politics, literary and cultural studies and social change (labour movements, civil society organizations, and social activism) and literary and cultural studies.
For details of current postgraduate projects, go to this page. |
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Student Profile: |
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Inez Mahony
'I undertook honours in journalism where I explored how Indonesia and Australia have been represented in each other's media. Among other things, this research showed there was a change in images of Indonesia after the attacks of September 11, and particularly so after the 2002 Bali bombings. Images became more Islam-focused, and were more often linked to Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism than previously. I found this alarming and unrepresentative. The majority of Indonesians have not changed, but representations of them have.'
Inez Mahony is a PhD candidate in the Department of Indonesian Studies. For Inez, the combination of extensive travel and work throughout Asia and an undergraduate degree with majors in Indonesian studies and journalism sparked an enduring fascination with the region. Building on her honours degree, Inez hopes her PhD research will contribute to an understanding of how and why misrepresentations have occurred in the Australian and Indonesian press. She believes improving these media relations will foster greater understanding and trust, and ultimately contribute to an improvement in relations between the two countries. It was the quality of the scholars available in the Department of Indonesian Studies that made the University of Sydney a natural choice for Inez's postgraduate study.
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