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?

There are no two neighbouring countries anywhere in the world that are more different than Indonesia and Australia. They differ hugely in religion, language, culture, history, geography, race, economics, worldview and population (Indonesia, 270 million, Australia less than 10 per cent of that). In fact, Indonesia and Australia have almost nothing in common other than the accident of geographic proximity. This makes their relationship turbulent, volatile and often unpredictable. Strangers Next Door? brings together insiders and leading observers to critically assess the state of Australia–Indonesia relations and their future prospects, offering insights into why the relationship is so important for Australia, why it is so often in crisis, and what this means for the future. This book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the Indo-Pacific region, Southeast Asia, Australia and Indonesia, and each country's politics, economy and foreign policy. It contains chapters that will interest specialists but are written in a style accessible to a general audience. The book spans a diverse range of subjects, including political relations and diplomacy, security and defence, the economy and trade, Islam, education, development, the arts, legal cooperation, the media, women, and community ties. Contributors assess the current state of relations in their sphere of expertise, and outline the factors and policies that could shape bilateral ties – and Indonesia's future – over the coming decades. University of Melbourne scholars Tim Lindsey and Dave McRae, both prominent observers and commentators on Indonesia and its relations with Australia, edited the volume, providing a synthesising overview as well as their own thematic chapters.

This report summarizes the main issues in the bilateral relationship that have raised and discussed in the Indonesia-Australia Conference held in March 2001 by CSIS in cooperation with the Indonesia Project at the Australian National University.

This volume explores the domestic and transnational considerations associated with Indonesia's ascent, referring to its rise in terms of hard and soft power and its likely trajectory in the future. The range of contributors analyse economic resources, religious harmony, security, regional relations, leadership and foreign policy.