A clerk fans United States banknotes on May 2, 2024, at a money changer in Jakarta.

The dollar diplomacy we need

As the world shifts toward the digital economy, including digital payments for greater ease of cross-border settlements, Western leaders should embrace the discourse on overhauling the existing global financial architecture as an opportunity.

5 months ago

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An opportunity for unified data in Indonesia's social welfare programs

A unified and accurate database will allow the government to ensure that resources are allocated more precisely. ...

5 months ago

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Is Southeast Asia the next frontier for AI?

The region’s tech-savvy youth presents a key advantage in accelerating AI adoption. ...

5 months ago

The Latest

Police escort Zulkarnaen, a senior leader of the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) who had been on the run for his alleged role in the 2002 Bali bombings, on Dec. 16, 2020, upon his arrival at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang.

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Jemaah Islamiyah’s disbandment appears irreversible and real

Thousands of former JI members have pledged allegiance to the Republic of Indonesia, and its “unity in diversity.” Now, the question is, can the state deliver?

5 months ago

Lives lost: Fans attend a rally in front of City Hall in Malang, East Java, on Nov. 10, 2022, demanding that the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) be responsible, fair, transparent and indiscriminate following the deadly stampede at Kanjuruhan Stadium on Oct. 1, which took 135 lives.

Academia

Why is soccer fandom so linked to violence?

What is it about soccer and its fan culture that makes such incidents more likely to occur?

5 months ago

A group of people take part in a rally supporting women's rights and gender equality in Jakarta on March 8, 2024, to mark International Women's Day.

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Reflection on women’s fight for equality in Indonesian politics

Protecting women in politics is not just about ensuring equality; it is essential for the future of Indonesia’s democracy.

5 months ago

Academia

Sinarmas World Academy students win 1st place in 2024 WRO International Final

Sinarmas World Academy’s (SWA) Ocean Voyager team has placed 1st in the Future Innovator, junior category at the 2024 World Robot Olympiad (WRO) International Final in Izmir, Türkey.

5 months ago

A girl uses a wheelchair lift to enter a van designed for physically challenged passengers during a child-friendly and disability-friendly 'mudik' (exodus) ceremony for those heading to Lampung and Palembang, South Sumatra, at the Muhammadiyah headquarters in Jakarta on May 30, 2019.

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Indonesia's social entrepreneurship deserves Prabowo's attention

Social enterprises are already contributing despite limited government support. With strategic backing from Prabowo’s administration, their impact could expand significantly.

5 months ago

Tearful loss: A supporter cries as US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris delivers her concession speech at Howard University in Washington, DC, on November 6.

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The fall and rise of American democracy

All four pillars of democracy’s promise seem broken to many Americans. But this doesn’t mean that they now prefer an alternative political arrangement.

5 months ago

Visitors look at the humanoid robot Optimus displayed on July 5 in the booth of automotive tech company Tesla at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2024 in Shanghai, China.

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The techno-realist manifesto

Recognizing horizon bias while making rational decisions to prepare for an intrinsically uncertain future is necessary to avoid seeing technology as a panacea.

5 months ago

The menu icons of Google's artificial intelligence app BardAI, branded ChatBot, OpenAI's ChatGPT and other AI apps are displayed on a smartphone screen in Oslo, in this illustration created on July 12, 2023.

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Indonesia’s drive for AI leadership in Southeast Asia

Indonesia must take a two-pronged approach that focuses on both development and governance to realize its ambition to become a regional leader in artificial intelligence as part of its impending technological transformation.

5 months ago

Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands on Oct. 22, 2024, during a welcome ceremony for participants of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.

Academia

Putin’s India visit aims to shape global multipolarity

The upcoming India-Russia summit is expectedly significantly move forward Putin’s aim to advance global multipolarity as a new world order.

5 months ago

People visit the booth of Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD during the Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS) in Surabaya on May 29, 2024.

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It’s time for a progressive wealth tax in Indonesia

Despite government efforts to improve the tax ratio, recent policies appear to favor the wealthy.

5 months ago

A local resident walks past houses on May 15, 2023, in a densely populated area in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi.

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Last chance for the SDGs?

Decisions made in the coming days will have a significant bearing on the future of funding for poor countries.

5 months ago

Pedestrians walk on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, in downtown Jakarta.

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Indonesia's demographic dividend: A future at risk

The government seems uncertain about how to optimize the country's demographic potential to help Indonesia escape the middle-income trap.

5 months ago

A mannequin displays smart audio glasses from French software company Pulse Audition as part of the Eureka Park exhibition at the Venetian Expo on Jan. 9, during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2024 in Las Vegas, the United States.

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America's tech blind spot

US policymakers need to strike a regulatory balance that implements safeguards for consumers while fostering innovation and facilitating research, objectives that are hindered by their current nationalist bent toward regulating both foreign and homegrown tech.

5 months ago

A teenager uses her mobile phone to access social media on Jan. 31, 2024, in New York City, the United States.

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Protecting children from social media

Australia’s new policy represents a critical step toward protecting children in the twenty-first century.

5 months ago

Apple CEO Tim Cook reacts as he leaves the Apple Developers Academy in Tangerang, Banten, on April 17, 2024.

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Apple's dilemma: Indonesian consumers or supply chain efficiency

The government has called for an investment from Apple that matches those made in peer countries.

5 months ago

Future at stake: Children play and swim at a waste-infested Kalumata Beach in Ternate, North Maluku, on Nov. 15.

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Why a UN plastics treaty matters for climate change and Indonesia

Without binding national commitments, a global cap risks becoming another weak agreement, postponing real action on the ground.

5 months ago

Widening divide?: United States President Donald Trump (right) speaks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen prior to their meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2020. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP)

Academia

Will Trump’s energy policies strain US-EU ties?

Trump pledges a sharp pivot on energy and climate issues compared to President Joe Biden, which could have profound implications for US markets and international partners.

5 months ago

Global cooperation: President Prabowo Subianto attends the opening session of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Nov. 18.

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Indonesia should think twice about joining BRICS and OECD

It is necessary for Indonesia to carefully consider whether joining either group could compromise its sovereignty and position as an influential country in ASEAN and the Global South.

5 months ago

A worker unloads fresh fruit bunches (FFB) on July 10, 2024, for sale at a market in Sepaku, East Kalimantan.

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Businesses await Prabowo’s guidelines on the palm oil industry

The shift in international perception toward a more favorable view of palm oil as a commodity and the industry as a whole presents an opportunity for Indonesia to bolster production, so long as the related policy measures also include enhancing bureaucratic efficiency and coordination.

5 months ago

A pupil receives a diphtheria vaccine shot at an Islamic elementary school in Banda Aceh on Nov. 21, 2023.

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What Trump’s win means for Indonesia’s global health strategy

With his return to power, the world braces for another potential upheaval in global health governance and financing.

5 months ago

Pushing back: Protesters and employees of Thales Alenia Space company gather to protest against the group's plan to cut over 1300 jobs within Europe at the company's office in Toulouse, southwestern France, on Nov. 26.

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Europe’s economy is stalling out

To regain the dynamism and flexibility needed to weather US president-elect Donald Trump’s tariffs, Europe’s largest economies must pursue far-reaching structural reforms.

5 months ago

A man transports plastic waste that has been selected to be sold to plastic waste collectors in Denpasar on Jan. 20, 2024.

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Bali’s battle against marine plastic waste

Indonesia, with its large population and extensive coastlines, faces an enormous challenge in managing plastic waste.

5 months ago

A woman shows her inked finger after casting her vote during the simultaneous regional elections in Jakarta on Nov. 27, 2024.

Academia premium

Regional elections and the struggle for inclusive citizenship

Structural deprivation, including insecure land tenure, inadequate access to clean water and persistent inequalities, denies the urban poor the ability to exercise citizenship fully.

5 months ago

Academia

Becoming Education Expert in the Ministry: A Doctorate Journey at NIE

Driven professionals like Dr Lili Mutiary understand the power of continuous learning. Her recent Doctor in Education (EdD) from the National Institute of Education at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NIE NTU Singapore), signifies not just personal accomplishment but a turning point in her career. As the Head of Performance and Risk Management in the Indonesian Ministry of Finance, Dr Mutiary's journey is an inspiring example for aspiring leaders in education and public administration.

5 months ago

Myanmar's Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, commander-in-chief of the Myanmar armed forces, arrives to pay his respects to Myanmar independence hero General Aung San and eight others assassinated in 1947, during a ceremony to mark the 71st anniversary of Martyrs' Day in Yangon, Myanmar, on July 19, 2018.

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ICC’s arrest warrant for Myanmar junta chief is a critical step forward

For millions who have endured decades of systematic oppression, displacement and violence, this move is more than symbolic, it is an overdue acknowledgment of their suffering.

5 months ago

Police officers stand guard on Aug. 1, 2024, in front of a house used by a terror suspect in Batu, East Java.

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Indonesia’s approach to reintegration: A compassionate path to security

Indonesia needs to be self-reliant in devising comprehensive reintegration and communication frameworks that honor humanitarian commitments while addressing security concerns.

5 months ago