What’s it all about?
How much do we know about Indonesia? It is the largest Muslim country in the world, with the fourth largest population of any country, a diverse range of ethnicities and cultural groups and has a complex and dynamic history.
Indonesia’s relationship with Australia hasn’t always been cosy, but now is a great time to understand a bit more about one of our closest neighbours.
What will we cover?
This class will provide an introduction to Indonesia’s history, geography, cultures and ethnic groups, and then a look at Indonesia today. We will highlight significant events in Indonesia’s history, such as the Dutch colonial period and War of Independence, the 1965 coup and the 1975 annexation of East Timor. We will also discuss Australia’s relationship with Indonesia, after reflecting on Indonesia as it has ‘come of age’ in the last decade. We will test out some of your assumptions about Indonesia and see if they ring true!
Who will be teaching?
Simone Alesich lived in Indonesia for one year in 2004, where she conducted research for a Doctorate in Anthropology. She has visited Indonesia many times since 1996, and considers it to be almost a second home. She is a fluent Indonesian language speaker, and loves Indonesian culture, jokes, art and food.