The big show: United States President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he signs an executive order to create a US sovereign wealth fund, in the Oval Office of the White House, on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Donald Trump's smoke and mirrors

The second Trump administration also will pursue policies with effects on the United States that will almost certainly be deeply harmful.

2 months ago

Academia

In freezing foreign aid, the US leaves people to die

US$60 billion worth of USAID programs have been brought to a screeching halt. It’s a devastating decision for developing nations, but also for US foreign policy. ...

2 months ago

Academia

Let indigenous peoples lead just energy transition

Research finds that indigenous peoples, including women and youth, can lead and have an active role as promoters of clean and sustainable energy production. ...

2 months ago

The Latest

Driven by teamwork: Clarine Beryl (right) poses for a photo with her team members.

Academia

Study abroad in China: Stepping into the future

In a time of rapidly advancing technology, those who can study at the forefront of its development will have an advantage. This idea is drawing Indonesian students to study in China, where this development is turbo-charged.

2 months ago

A health worker (left) administers a COVID-19 vaccine to a patient at Arcamanik community health center in Bandung, West Java, on Jan. 4, 2024.

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Health checks for all: A historic leap in healthcare for Indonesia

Every Indonesian will receive a free voucher for medical check-ups worth millions of rupiah that can be claimed during or after their birthday, ensuring that this historic program reaches every individual, leaving no one behind.

2 months ago

A man walks past a banner with an artificial intelligence (AI) sign at the Frankfurt book fair on Oct. 16, 2024,.

Academia

The crisis in Western AI is real

China’s growing AI capabilities were well known to the AI research community and even to the interested public.

2 months ago

Critical cooperation: Leaders of the Quad strategic alliance (from left) the United States' then-president Joe Biden, Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japan's then-prime minister Fumio Kishida and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photo as they hold a meeting on the sidelines of the Group of Seven Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 20, 2023.

Academia

Quad and AUKUS face an uncertain future

The challenge is to make a compelling case for Donald Trump to support and endorse these partnerships.

2 months ago

Rain or shine: A family carries umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun as they cross a street in Manila, on April 25, 2024.

Academia

La Niña's impact on global warming may be waning

January 2025’s record heat highlights how human-driven ocean warming is increasingly overwhelming natural climate patterns.

2 months ago

The PT Bumiputera office building (center) stands on Dec. 18, 2016, amid Jakarta's skyscrapers.

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Can the insurance industry survive regulatory pressures in 2025?

The OJK has prepared new regulations in order to enhance policy provisions, underwriting and claim processes.

2 months ago

'Plastic apocalypse': A man stands among a dense accumulation of plastic waste and other garbage which has washed ashore at a beach in Kedonganan Badung regency, Bali, on Jan. 3, 2025.

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Bali, the willing cash cow of national interest

The large inflow of tourists in Bali would likely not be accompanied by long-term planning, potentially resulting in mass takeovers of sacred lands, pristine beaches and enticing river banks to build hotels, villas, restaurants and other tourist infrastructures.

2 months ago

Honorary welcome: Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto review the honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 9, 2024.

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Indonesia’s silent retreat from the South China Sea

Prabowo's administration has effectively left the dispute to the direct claimants rather than treating it as a regional issue.

2 months ago

A denuded area marks the Tugu Lima (five pillars) construction site of the Kayan Hydropower Plant project in Peso district, Bulungan, North Kalimantan, in this picture taken on June 5, 2024.

Academia

How bold climate action can help Indonesia achieve growth target

Indonesia has already made impressive strides in climate adaptation, and with its abundant resources and historic leadership, this year presents a critical opportunity for it to take another big step forward in paving the way to both global and national prosperity, by embracing the global clean energy boom and leading climate finance.

2 months ago

Early detection: Medical workers take blood samples of students during a screening to detect nnoncommunicable diseases, including diabetes, at SMP 21 state junior high school in Bandung, West Java, on March 2, 2023.

Academia

Why diabetes is a growing public health concern in Indonesia

Puskesmas offer early screening services for diabetes and its related complications at low or no cost to the patient.

2 months ago

A representative (center) of investors listens to start-up entrepreneurs presenting their ideas at a start-up investor speed-dating session at the Tech in Asia conference in Jakarta on Oct. 9, 2019.

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How investor biases can enable fraud in start-ups

In the eFishery case, reported sales of 400,000 fish feeders versus the verified 24,000 should have been an instant red flag, but investors prioritized growth potential over verifying operational reality.

2 months ago

Daily struggle: Residents line up to exchange subsidized 3-kilogram liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters in Cibodas, Tangerang city, Banten, on Feb. 3, 2025.

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Java, the national economic hub still struggling with poverty and inequality

Around 12.62 million people, or 52.45 percent of Indonesia’s total poor population, are concentrated on Java.

2 months ago

United States President Donald Trump speaks to the press as he signs an executive order to create a US sovereign wealth fund, in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Academia

Tariff man Donald Trump's risky bet

Trump is gambling with America’s long-term influence and prosperity.

2 months ago

Courting controversy: A police officer walks in front of the Constitutional Court building in Jakarta on Feb. 4, 2025.

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Safeguard court’s independence, ‘Strawberries’ remind us

Beyond this landmark victory of the “Gen Z”, often dismissed as easily bruised “strawberries” by exasperated seniors, is the urgency to retain the independence of the highest court.

2 months ago

United States President Donald Trump is seen on a giant screen during his address by video conference at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 23, 2025.

Academia

Deep freeze: Trump leaves US diplomats with little to offer Pacific

Paris climate treaty exit, defunding WHO and foreign aid suspension strike blows at US perception in Pacific as “trusted friend.”

2 months ago

High-tech conundrum: The DeepSeek app is seen on a mobile phone in Hong Kong in this photo illustration on Jan. 28, 2025.

Academia

Open source and under control: The DeepSeek paradox

DeepSeek has emerged on the front line of debates determining the future of AI, but its arrival poses questions over who decides what “intelligence” we need.

2 months ago

A pedestrian uses his smartphone while walking on a sidewalk in Jakarta in February 2019.

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E-SBN: A game-changer for Indonesia’s bond market

The e-SBN platform has markedly improved the inclusivity, accessibility and transparency of Indonesia’s bond market, while simultaneously enhancing public trust in government financial instruments.

2 months ago

An attendant walks across a gas station belonging to state-owned energy holding company Pertamina in Kuningan, South Jakarta, on Dec. 4, 2018.

Academia

SOEs law overhaul: A new dawn or the same old story?

History has shown that grand restructuring plans often come with unintended side effects.

2 months ago

President Prabowo Subianto (left) and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attend a press conference during Prabowo's visit to Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, on Jan. 27, 2025.

Academia

Let us be positive about Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship

Make no mistake, this is an exciting time as our country helps navigate the geopolitical sensitivities and potential of a bloc of nations that is home to close to 700 million citizens.

2 months ago

A digital display shows trading activity on the Indonesian Carbon Exchange (IDXCarbon) on Jan. 20, 2025, at the Indonesia Stock Exchange in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

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Prioritizing quality over expansion in Indonesia's carbon market

While the move to open IDXCarbon internationally marks a milestone in Indonesia's green transition and offers many opportunities, the government needs to ensure that a host of technical and institutional elements are in place, lest it be seen as a superficial commitment to climate action.

2 months ago

Diminished accessibility: Residents line up to exchange 3-kilogram liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) canisters in Cibodas, Tangerang city, Banten, on Feb. 3, 2025.

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The price the poor are paying for LPG subsidy failures

The crisis exposes a disconnect between theory and the lived experiences of vulnerable populations.

2 months ago

A worker unloads fresh fruit bunches (FFB) from a pickup truck after bringing them from a plantation to sell at a market in Sepaku, East Kalimantan, on July 10, 2024.

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The government's half-baked policy to empower oil palm smallholders

The agriculture minister's recent announcement on a new NES policy might look good on paper, but falls short of the regulatory review and reform needed to address the complexities of the oil palm industry and ensure smallholders' prosperity.

2 months ago

This photo illustration shows the DeepSeek app on a mobile phone in Hong Kong on Jan. 28, 2025.

Academia

Why DeepSeek's AI leap puts China in front for now

Commentators are right to say DeepSeek's new AI chatbot is a game changer but do not take all the hype about China now dominating the field too seriously.

2 months ago

United States President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, DC.

Academia

Trump’s industrial policy is more continuity than disruption

There is now a broad consensus on the need to rebuild US industrial capabilities to protect national and economic security.

2 months ago

Multipurpose program: Mangrove trees planted by the community in an attempt to slow erosion caused by rising sea levels are seen on Pari Island in the Thousand Islands regency, Jakarta, on Feb. 23, 2023.

Academia

Peatlands and mangroves are key to Southeast Asia’s climate efforts

Protecting and restoring mangroves and peatlands can reduce more than half of the carbon emissions from land use in Southeast Asia, but some challenges remain.

2 months ago

Ready-to-eat: Workers unload lunch boxes from a van on Jan. 6, 2025, the first day of the free meals program, at a high school in Sidoarjo regency, East Java.

Academia

Free nutritious meals for resilient agrifood systems

For decades, Indonesia has strived to optimize the productivity of its farmers to be able to meet the ever-growing domestic demand. The free meals program now presents a golden opportunity to pursue that ambition at a systemic scale, from farm to table, from nature to the pockets of the poorest.

2 months ago

Academia

Nourishing character: Free school meals are more than just food

The free nutritious meals program, as championed by President Prabowo’s administration, has largely been framed as a direct intervention to combat malnutrition and health disparities among children.

2 months ago

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