The American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS)

Reminders 📢
Individual registration is required for all presenters. To ensure that your panel is included in the program, we request that all speakers REGISTER no later than Monday, April 27, 2026.

Want to join as a participant?
Public registration is open until May 25, 2026—join us and get access to Whova! Certificates will be provided for public participants.

AIFIS is pleased to share an upcoming virtual workshop by
Join the Foundation's President, Danylin Rutherford, for a discussion of the Engaged Research Grant program.

Monday, April 27
10-11:30 AM (Eastern)
8-9:30 PM (Eastern)

Learn more: https://wennergren.org/proposal-workshops/

Memory and Legacy: Jean Taylor on Learning Indonesian at UW-Madison

Listen Now: bit.ly/AIFISPodcastEp4

In this first part of our two-episode conversation, we sit down with Professor Jean Taylor to revisit her early experiences with Indonesian Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. From her first steps in learning the language through ISSI to memories of her Indonesian teachers, Jean shares vivid reflections on a pivotal era in U.S.-Indonesia academic exchange. Tune in as we explore what sparked her interest in Indonesia and how ISSI became a cornerstone for many scholars in the field.

This episode and upcoming series were produced by Eko Widianto with support from an AIFIS-Luce small grant.

Notes from the Field: Listening to the Forest City

Meet Walker DePuy, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, who shares reflections from his research on Indigenous knowledge, sound, and sustainable urban futures in Indonesia’s emerging capital, Nusantara.

During his AIFIS-CAORC supported fieldwork from May to July 2025, Walker DePuy conducted multi-sited ethnographic research in Jakarta and East Kalimantan to examine how Indigenous knowledge and sensory ways of knowing (particularly through sound) can inform Indonesia’s emerging “forest city” vision in Nusantara.

Fieldwork was carried out in collaboration with partners from Cornell University, Universitas Mulawarman (UNMUL), and local communities, including village leaders and elementary schools. The research employed a combination of participant observation, interviews, focus group discussions, and bioacoustic data collection in community forest areas. In addition, air quality monitoring devices were deployed in local schools to connect environmental data with community-based learning.

In particular, the project offers insights into how Indonesia’s forest city initiative in Nusantara can incorporate diverse human–environment relationships in responding to biodiversity challenges.

Read more: https://www.aifis.org/notes-from-the-field

Public Lecture “Representations and Variation in Phonology and Phonetics”

Prof. Abigail C. Cohn from Cornell University will discuss patterns of sound variation across languages and speakers, offering perspectives on how linguistic systems balance structure and flexibility.

Date/Time: Monday, April 6, 2026 / 1-2.30 PM WIB
Location: Yustinus Building, 13th Floor, Kampus Semanggi, Unika Atma Jaya
& Zoom

Register now!

INGATAN DARI TIMOR (Memories of Timor) at AAS 2026 Vancouver
Saturday, March 14, 12:20pm

We are delighted to inform you that INGATAN DARI TIMOR is listed for the AAS Film Expo, which will take place in Vancouver during the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) Annual Conference in Vancouver, Canada.

INGATAN DARI TIMOR was produced with support from an AIFIS- Documentary Film Grant.

AIFIS cordially invites you to our annual public meeting convened in-conjunction with the Association for Asian Studies annual conference. This year we will share the meeting time with our friends at the Indonesian and Timor Leste Studies Committee.

AIFIS & ITLSC Meeting at AAS Vancouver
Saturday, March 14, 2026 | 7:30 - 9:30PM PT
Pan Pacific Hotel | Oceanview Suite 8

This will be a casual event with light refreshments provided. We look forward to seeing you in Vancouver. Sampai ketemu!

Pioneering Indonesian Studies: A Conversation with Toenggoel P. Siagian

Listen Now: bit.ly/AIFISPodcastEp3

Take a deep dive into the origins of the Indonesian Studies Summer Institute (ISSI) with co-founder Toenggoel P. Siagian. In this episode, we explore the early vision behind ISSI, the academic and political challenges of the 1960s—1970s, and how the institute shaped Indonesian studies in the U.S. Whether you're passionate about Indonesian studies, Southeast Asian history, or global education initiatives—this episode is not to be missed. Listen now and be inspired by the journey that helped put Indonesian studies on the academic map.

This episode and upcoming series were produced by Eko Widianto with support from an AIFIS-Luce small grant.

Public Exhibition of AIFIS-Luce Photography Project: March 9, 2026

This March, AIFIS- award recipient, Michael Eko, presents “Shared Currents,” a Silvana S. Photography Award Exhibition hosted by Objectifs in Singapore. Michael traces an ongoing journey of photographing the Kapuas and Mahakam rivers in Kalimantan, presented here alongside a selection of Silvana Sutanto’s photographs of the local Asmat people from Agats. Curated by Goh Chun Aik and opening on 6 March at Chapel Gallery in Singapore, the exhibition reflects on how we stay connected in a time of environmental uncertainty.

All are invited to continue the conversation with Michael in a hybrid virtual talk via Zoom at at the National University of Singapore on 9 March, 2-3:30pm Singapore.

Learn more and register here: https://linktr.ee/objectifscentre

Credit:

Struggling with essays, papers, or thesis writing? 📚

Join the next week's Academy session and you’ll discover how to:
🧠 Use credible sources effectively
✍️ Develop original arguments & comparisons
🛡️ Avoid plagiarism through ethical writing
💬 Improve drafts using lecturer & peer feedback

Mark your calendar! 👇🏻
📅 25/2/2026
🕒 19:00 - 20:30
📍 , Pacific Place Mall Floor 3
🔗 RSVP: atam.tv/AcademyFebruary022026

Public Lecture "The Clam, the Mud, and the Girl: A History of Land Reclamation in Maritime Southeast Asia"

Speaker:
Prof. Anna L. Tsing - Professor of Anthropology, University of California, Santa Cruz

🗓️ Thursday, March 5, 2026
⏱️ 09:00-12:00 WIB
📍 Auditorium 1st Floor, Widya Graha Building, BRIN Gatot Subroto, Jakarta Selatan

Abstract:
What if we considered Southeast Asia from the perspective of its muddy coasts and inland swamps? Before colonial rule, “soft coasts” supported a maritime world in which diverse peoples were connected by trade, kinship, and fealty. The coming of European ideas of property and governance led to land reclamation: the destruction of the wetlands that supported this political ecology. Reclamation continues in postcolonial guises. But just what are its social and ecological effects? What’s left?

We tell the story of maritime Southeast Asia through mud—and those who live in it. Mud hides pirates, frustrates urban planners, and becomes the raw material for private property. Mud is also a place of more-than-human refuge—and the medium for ethnographically and historically rich storytelling.

📝 Mandatory Registration (close on February 28, 2026):
https://form.brin.go.id/s-f/registration-public-lecture-professor-anna-tsing

📩 Contact Person:
Angela Iban
[email protected]

We look forward to seeing you there!