Indonesia and Australia
A Major Study on the Relationship between Indonesia and Australia
It is often said, irrespective of political beliefs, that the relationship between Indonesia and Australia is of critical importance to both nations’ future prosperity.
For Indonesians, Australia is geographically close and offers skills and expertise in areas like education, health, infrastructure, logistics and services.
For Australians, Indonesia is a gateway to Asia, with many complementary and shared aspirations around quality of life, families, education, health and sustainable cities.
For both nations, it makes a great deal of sense to be partners – working together and succeeding together in an increasingly complex world. Both nations are resource-dependent, yet both are aware of the need to develop value-adding industries of the future.
Great relationships are, of course, built on trust, understanding and shared empathies. Yet for too long Australians have shown an indifference and at times an ignorance of Indonesia, despite the popularity of Bali as a holiday destination. At the same time, there has been a desire to learn more about the Indonesian view of Australia.
Research to Inform and Underpin Discussion
In light of this, research was set in place to better understand perceptions of Australians towards Indonesia and Indonesians towards Australia. Extensive qualitative and quantitative research was conducted in both nations.
One goal was to start a fresh bi-national public debate about ways to improve awareness and understanding; another is to provide insights to governments, policy-makers and key decision-makers.
The Australia Indonesia Council
This research was an initiative of the Australia-Indonesia Centre (AIC) and run by the team at EY Sweeney.
The AIC was established in 2014 to improve relationships between the two nations by pursuing solutions to shared national challenges via collaborative research, relationship-building initiatives and attitudinal studies.