AUSTRALIA-INDONESIA CONNECTION

Book excerpt: ln early 2020, Australia and Indonesia entered an historic high point in their bilateral relationship. The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, visited Canberra where he addressed the Joint Houses of Parliament, and meetings were held to put the final touches on the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (IA CEPA). Since then, tested by the COVID-1 9 pandemic crisis, the strength and depth of the Australia-Indonesia relationship—between governments, also business and community organisations and individuals—has come more clearly into focus. The people-to-people connectivity that has driven the Australia-Indonesia relationship is being re-imagined in creative, digital ways, and in the face of a global economic crisis IA CEPA is a bright spot for potential growth in trade and exchange. ln response to these trends and opportunities for deepening engagement, the chapters in this volume represent research undertaken by Indonesians and Australians working together as part of a collaborative research program initiated by the Australia-Indonesia Centre, with a focus on thematic areas, Youth and Education, and Business and Tourism, Digital Futures and Connectivity. Collectively, the research offers insights into what is driving Indonesia'sfuture with a focus on its young people—those aged 17-35 years are the largest single demographic group in Indonesia—digital technologies and an increasingly mobile middle-class. What is shaping the outlook of young Indonesians on the world and their relations with their regional neighbours, including Australia? How are Indonesians using digital technologies for social and commercial exchange in ways that are making them increasingly open to international connections?What kinds of experiences are Indonesia's increasingly mobile middle-classes looking for when they travel overseas for education or leisure? What does this mean in terms of opportunities for greater connectivity and exchange within the Australia-Indonesia relationship after the crisis has subsided and beyond?