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Despite decades of democratic reforms following the fall of President Suharto, Indonesia’s political landscape remains shaped by a resilient class of oligarchs. From the national stage to newly decentralized regions, these powerful networks have adapted to dominate the very institutions meant to curb their influence. So, how do Indonesia's oligarchs operate today? Why did the post-authoritarian Reformasi movement fail to dismantle them? And with President Prabowo Subianto now at the helm, is Indonesia's oligarchic system becoming more entrenched -- or can a new generation of reformers still challenge it? Veteran Asia studies researcher Prof Vedi Hadiz of Asia Institute joins presenter Sami Shah to examine the enduring power of Indonesia's oligarchic class, and what it means for the country's economic and democratic future. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com Vedi is co-author, together with Richard Robison, of the widely cited book 2004, Reorganizing power: politics of oligarchy in an age of markets, which has been updated to an expanded 2026 edition entitled Oligarchy and the End of Reformasi: power reorganised, published by Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Oligarchy-and-the-End-of-Reformasi-in-Indonesia-Power-Reorganised/Hadiz-Robison/p/book/9781041017660

In Afghanistan today, a generation of young people is being shaped inside classrooms that feel very different from the ones their parents knew. For girls and women, state-regulated madrasas are now the only legal path to education at all. For boys in madrasas, minor infractions over clothing choices or beard length are regularly met with physical punishment. And at the university level, students describe an environment where curiosity itself is banned. Even as the nation's economy contracts and millions fall into poverty, the Taliban continue to pour state resources into what appears to be a purely ideological project. So what are the consequences of policing an entire generation of young men within their own classrooms? Can madrasa education for women be considered legitimate education at all, or is it something closer to a mechanism of social control? And with graduates reportedly outpacing what the economy can absorb, is the regime risking a flood of recruits for extremist groups like ISIS-K? Peacebuilding researcher Dr Niamatullah Ibrahimi from the University of Melbourne joins presenter Sami Shah in examining the possible consequences of the Taliban's education policies. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

Earlier this year, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney drew international attention with a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, in which he warned that middle powers face an increasingly difficult international environment as great powers become more willing to use economic pressure to pursue their strategic interests. He called for closer cooperation among countries committed to an open, rules-based order, arguing that solidarity may be middle powers' best defence against coercion from far more powerful states. His warning reflects a real dilemma: nations like Australia and South Korea have already faced trade restrictions aimed at shaping their political choices, and this as the rules underpinning global trade grow shakier. So can middle powers really band together to resist coercion, or are they better off cutting bilateral deals with the world's dominant players? And what becomes of the rules-based order if the global economy grows evermore transactional? International relations researchers Dr Alexander Hynd of Asia Institute and Max Broad of Lowy Institute join host Sami Shah in examining how middle powers respond to economic coercion in an increasingly contested world. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com Suggested reading: Middle powers talk big – and act small by Alexander Hynd, Max Broad, Minsun Hong https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/middle-powers-talk-big-and-act-small

The history of the Pacific Ocean is often told as a story of isolated islands like French Polynesia or Hawaii, or as a mere backdrop to European discovery. But what if it's a central maritime world—a network of interconnections and struggles spanning landlocked Bolivia, Banaba island in Kiribati, and Haizhou, China? How did networks of silver, nitrates, and phosphates fuse the destinies of tiny Pacific islands with continental powers? And why did some regions escape becoming economic hinterlands while others faced total ecological devastation? Asia Historian Dr Lewis Mayo from Asia Institute joins host Sami Shah to unravel the threads of the historical tapestry of this vast region. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

For decades, Indonesia has defined its place in the world through "bebas dan aktif", meaning "free and active" — a foreign policy that's both independent and engaged, positioning itself as a bridge between major powers while avoiding formal alignment. But rising geopolitical tensions and intensifying competition in the Indo-Pacific are making that harder to sustain. Since taking office in October 2024, President Prabowo Subianto has brought a more personalised style to foreign policy, marked by frequent overseas visits and moves such as Indonesia's entry into BRICS. So, is Indonesia still practicing the cautious, consultative diplomacy it's long been known for, or adapting to a more contested environment? And how does it navigate relationships with China, the US, and others without compromising its commitment to non-alignment? Radityo Dharmaputra from Universitas Airlangga and Aristyo Darmawan from Universitas Indonesia, both experts in Indonesia's foreign policy, examine President Prabowo's impact on the nation's foreign policy. Hosted by Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

Climate change is increasingly more than an environmental crisis — its human dimension is fast becoming one of the defining legal and political challenges of our era. Tens of millions are already displaced by floods, droughts, and rising seas, while communities like the Torres Strait Islanders face not just the loss of land, but the severing of profound cultural and spiritual ties to place. For low-lying Pacific nations like Tuvalu, the very existence of their state may one day be reduced to legal records and collective memory. So how does international law grapple with nations that no longer have territory? And what stands between the global community's emerging recommendations to safeguard the right to nationality and the political will to implement them? Assoc Prof Radha Govil and Aashish Yadav, both statelessness researchers from the Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness at the Melbourne Law School, join host Sami Shah in exploring how climate change is pushing people into statelessness — and what can be done about it. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

Across Southeast Asia, vast compounds have emerged as the nerve centers of large-scale online fraud, run by transnational crime syndicates with links to ethnic Chinese networks. Their targets are ordinary people across Asia and beyond, ensnared in scams that drain savings and devastate families. But inside the compound walls are trafficked workers — lured under false promises of legitimate employment, then held captive in conditions of digital servitude. So what is the true extent of this shadow economy? How have these scam compounds become embedded in local communities and cross-border networks? And as regional governments attempt crackdowns, what happens to the exploited workers once the compounds fall? Researchers into the intersection of organized crime and technology Dr Ivan Franceschini from Asia Institute and Ling Li from Ca' Foscari University of Venice join host Sami Shah to examine the reach and ramifications of Southeast Asia's scam compounds. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. A recent book on the subject by Ivan Franceschini, Ling Li and Mark Bo: Scam: Inside Southeast Asia's Cybercrime Compounds, Verso, 2025.

Rice is more than a staple in the Philippines — it’s a measure of well-being and security. But decades of government policies built around industrial-scale production have struggled to deliver self-sufficiency in a country where rice farming is overwhelmingly smallholder-based. As farmers contend with debt, land insecurity, and environmental vulnerability, are current strategies fit for purpose? Or does the future of food security lie in approaches that start with the realities of small-scale farming? Dr Eric Gutierrez and Prof Wolfram Dressler, both social geography researchers from the University Melbourne, join host Sami Shah to examine the complex realities of rice farming in the Philippines. Prof Wolfram Dressler's recent book on the topic is For the Sake of Forests and Gods: Governing Life and Livelihood in the Philippine Uplands, Cornell University Press, 2025. https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501779268/for-the-sake-of-forests-and-gods/#bookTabs=1 An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

While shared anxieties over China have brought India and the United States closer, President Donald Trump’s second-term tariffs and tougher immigration rules have injected fresh strain into the relationship. The pressure on New Delhi to curb Russian oil imports comes as Moscow itself deepens ties with Beijing, complicating India’s long-standing defence and energy partnerships. So where does this leave India’s quest for strategic autonomy? Can it still balance cooperation with the U.S., reliance on Russia, and cautious engagement with China? Or is that space rapidly closing? Political scientist Dr Pradeep Taneja from the University of Melbourne puts the India–US relationship under the microscope. Presented by Sami Shah. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

A year into his presidency, Prabowo Subianto stands at a pivotal moment in Indonesia’s political journey. Elected on promises of both continuity and change, his government has faced unrest in the streets, the dismissal of a long-serving finance minister, and questions over the strength of Indonesia’s democratic institutions. At the same time, Jakarta’s growing engagement with BRICS and its delicate balancing act between China and the United States are reshaping its global outlook. So, what does Prabowo’s first year reveal about Indonesia’s political direction? How resilient is its democracy under his leadership? And what kind of regional and global power is Indonesia seeking to become? Prof Tim Lindsey from Melbourne Law School and Dr Ian Wilson from Murdoch University join host Sami Shah to assess Prabowo’s first year in office, and its implications for Indonesia’s domestic politics and foreign policy. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

For many East Asians living in Western societies, the first challenge they face is their own name — mispronounced in classrooms, simplified in workplaces, or changed altogether to fit in. Behind these small acts lie deeper questions of identity, belonging, and cultural respect. How do naming traditions shaped by centuries of history meet the bureaucracies and biases of today’s West? And what does genuine respect look like in a globalised world — merely saying a name right, or something more? Professor Ikuko Nakane and Dr Lewis Mayo, both from the Asia Institute, join host Sami Shah to examine the question of what it means to negotiate anglophone societies with an East Asian name. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

Indonesia’s 17,000-plus islands boast the world’s third-largest tropical rainforest, home to endangered species and Indigenous communities, and a vital shield against climate change. Yet in 2024, the country lost 261,000 hectares of forest—its worst single-year decline since 2021. Why has deforestation surged just as earlier trends seemed to improve? Beyond palm oil, the pressures now include pulpwood plantations, nickel mining, and large-scale food-security schemes that risk draining peatlands, razing mangroves, and displacing communities. Now almost a year into President Prabowo Subianto’s new administration, will Jakarta finally take forest protection seriously—or will it be business as usual? What reforms could steer investment toward already-cleared land, curb land speculation, and protect habitats close to collapse? And how can accountability thrive when so many lawmakers hold stakes in extractive industries? Multi-award winning forest conservationist Farwiza Farhan, and seasoned Asia Institute Indonesia watcher Dr Charlotte Setijadi, join host Sami Shah to examine the forces reshaping Indonesia’s landscape. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

Governments across Asia are confronting a new kind of policy challenge — one that’s moving faster than most have ever had to legislate for. The astonishing speed of generative AI development has prompted both excitement and alarm in Asia’s capitals, where the potential for economic growth and national prestige is being weighed against serious questions about risk, regulation, and long-term control. In China, we’ve seen some of the world’s earliest binding regulations on generative AI, with policymakers steering innovation to align with stated political values. Japan, by contrast, has recently pivoted toward a “light touch” governance model — part of a wider shift in Asia that favours innovation-friendly oversight, even as public concerns about misinformation, data misuse, and algorithmic bias continue to mount. In other countries like India, Malaysia and South Korea, dedicated AI bodies have been established, but concrete legislation remains elusive. So what are Asian governments actually doing — and not doing — to shape the direction of this transformative technology? And how are they managing the balancing act between economic ambition and ethical caution? Professor Jeannie Paterson from Melbourne Law School and Professor Haiqing Yu from RMIT University join host Sami Shah to explore how Asia is balancing the risks and rewards of generative AI. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. Suggested readings Expanded ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics – Generative AI https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Expanded-ASEAN-Guide-on-AI-Governance-and-Ethics-Generative-AI.pdf China bets on open-source technologies to boost domestic innovation https://merics.org/en/report/china-bets-open-source-technologies-boost-domestic-innovation Open source and under control: The DeepSeek paradox https://360info.org/open-source-and-under-control-the-deepseek-paradox/

Despite all the talk of trade wars and other tensions, China remains the largest source of international students worldwide. In Australia alone, there are over 125,000 China nationals attending higher education, representing 22% of all international uni students. Needless to say, these large international numbers provide a massive revenue boon for Australia's cash-strapped institutions of higher learning. But what is the experience of Chinese students here in Australia? Given their large numbers, and their origins from a country that many Australians may view with some ambivalence, how are they being received, embraced or excluded? How are the Chinese students themselves finding ways to cope, or thrive, in the Australian social and academic environment? University of Melbourne researchers Dr Qiuping Pan and Dr Eric Fu join host Sami Shah to explore the complex, often overlooked lived experiences of Chinese international students in Australia. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.

While Mandarin has long been China's official language, recent policies have accelerated its dominance — often at the expense of minority languages. Despite constitutional protections, a 2020 legislative shift has cast a shadow over the future of minority language education, raising concerns among ethnic minority groups like the Zhuang in southern China and communities in Tibet. Why is China doubling down on Mandarin’s dominance despite its already firm hold? What impact do these language policies have on ethnic minority communities? And what steps are needed to preserve China’s rich linguistic diversity? Researchers of linguistic diversity Dr Lajiadou from Asia Institute and Dr Alexandra Grey from University of Technology Sydney join host Sami Shah to examine the impact of China’s language policies on the future of ethnic minority languages and the communities that speak them. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com.