The American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS)

In June, 2026, our 4-strong team Ari (Ari Dharminalan Rudenko), Kora (Kora Loisi Kerei), Widi (Widi Pramono Clepret), and Bonbon (Bonfilio Yosafat) embarked on a journey into the heart of Siberut Island, Mentawai, on a mission to archive the rich animal-dance traditions of the Mentawai indigenous people, called Turuk Laggai. Welcome to TURUK LAGGAI PROJEK.

We travelled 8 hours upriver by pong-pong canoe, to Sila'oinan, Kora's ancestral home, to spend several weeks with the Tasirirekdek tribe. Our journey of living in the uma longhouse with sikerei shamans, witnessing several all-night rituals, and soaking in everything we could of the dance tradition - it's coming! We have a ton of documentation we are slowly processing, and now we'll begin to share some of it here.

So much thanks to our brother jak Kora for leading the way to his homeland and organizing our journey there.

And thanks to AIFIS for sponsoring this research with a post-doctoral fellowship awarded to Ari Dharminalan Rudenko. We can't wait to share the fruits of the research with you soon.

Thanks: Ari Dharminalan Rudenko - Masura'bagatta Mentawai

Save the date!

“The Dynamics of Islamic Education in Indonesia" featuring Prof. Ronald Lukens-Bull (University of North Florida) and Prof. Nina Nurmila (Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia)

Tuesday, 4 August 2026
BRIN Ballroom, 2nd Floor, Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jakarta Selatan

Open to the public!

We're pleased to share 8 newly published, FREE Open Educational Resources (OER) language textbooks developed by language instructors from leading universities, including Michigan State, Columbia, Duke, NYU, UCLA, UH Mānoa, U-Michigan, U Penn, UW–Madison, and Vanderbilt.

The collection features interactive textbooks in Arabic, Bangla, Chinese, Indonesian, Persian, Punjabi, Telugu, and Tibetan, making high-quality language learning more accessible to students, educators, and independent learners worldwide.

These OER textbooks were developed through collaborations among universities and organizations, with financial support from the U.S. Department of Education (Title VI NRC and IRS grants) and partners including AIIS, AIFIS, U-Michigan CSEAS, UH-Manoa CSEAS, MSU Libraries, and MSU LiLaC.

📚 View the complete OER language textbook collection: https://openbooks.lib.msu.edu/

REPOST MSU Asian Studies Center

On April 16, 2025, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) welcomed more than 100 participants to a special Indonesia-focused program as part of its annual International Studies Day. Supported through an AIFIS–Luce Small Grant, the event brought together students, faculty, staff, and members of the broader Southern Illinois community—including local members of the Indonesian diaspora—for an afternoon of hands-on cultural learning and dialogue.

The program featured two complementary sessions designed to introduce participants to Indonesian cultural traditions while creating opportunities for intercultural exchange: a puppet-making workshop, and a diaspora discussion.

The first session invited participants into the world of wayang, Indonesia’s long-standing puppetry tradition. Following an introduction to the history, aesthetics, and cultural significance of wayang kulit, the characters of the Ramayana who frequently appear in wayang performances, and puppets from SIUE’s museum collection, attendees created articulated paper puppets of their own. The workshop encouraged participants not only to learn about Indonesian performance traditions but also to engage directly in creative practice, with groups of students performing their own endings to the classic tale using their handmade puppets.

Read more: www.aifis.org/small-grants-public-programs

-Luce

Happy Independence Day to our friends, colleagues, and partners across the United States! 🇺🇸

Today, we celebrate the spirit of connection, curiosity, and collaboration that continues to bring Indonesian and U.S. scholars together. Wishing everyone a joyful Independence Day!

The Faculty Leadership for International Training and Education (FLITE) program has officially launched its first Overseas Faculty Development Seminar, hosted by American Institute for Indonesian Studies (AIFIS). The program is an immersive 12 days of learning and cultural exchange across Jakarta, Bandung, Bogor, and Yogyakarta.

FLITE, a partnership between CAORC and , is a professional development program that equips U.S. college and university faculty and administrators with the knowledge and skills to advance international education on their campuses. Through online learning, mentorship, a campus-based leadership project, and an immersive overseas seminar, participants build global competencies, strengthen international partnerships, and develop innovative approaches to internationalization.

Throughout the program, participants met and engaged with faculty and international education leaders at Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, and .yogyakarta Universitas Gadjah Mada. They also explored Indonesia's global connections through scholar-guided visits to the Asia-Africa Conference Museum, Jakarta History (Batavia) Museum, .in Museum Batik Indonesia, and Bogor Botanical Gardens. The seminar also included meaningful discussions with representatives from about Fulbright opportunities in Indonesia, on the role of American Spaces in diplomacy, and Indonesian scholars working on the Sustainable Development Goals.

In Yogyakarta, participants visited the Sanggar Anak Alam learning center, engaged in a dialogue with Jogja Disability Arts, and explored the iconic Prambanan and Borobudur temples. Together, these experiences offered valuable perspectives on teaching, community-based learning, inclusive education, and the role of arts and culture in shaping society.

Thank you to all of our partners, speakers, and hosts whose collaboration and enthusiasm made this inaugural FLITE Overseas Faculty Development Seminar a meaningful and memorable experience.

#2026

"Modeling Electric 2-Wheel Vehicle (2WEV) Ridership Patterns for Low-Middle Income (LMI) Populations in Jakarta"

Speaker:
Dakota Pekerti, B.S.E.
Master's Student, Energy and Resources Group
University of California, Berkeley

📅 Thursday, June 25, 2026
⏰ 10:30 AM – 11:30 PM (WIB)
💻 Zoom Meeting

In this session, Dakota Pekerti, B.S.E. will share his research experience and findings from a study conducted in Jakarta on electric two-wheel vehicle (2WEV) usage among low- and middle-income populations, as well as its implications for sustainable transportation development in Indonesia.

Meeting ID: 965 0097 9445
Passcode: 058343

📌 Registration:
bit.ly/RegistRBM-25Jun

Public Lecture “From Trauma to Resilience: The Role of Social-Emotional Learning in Mental Health Support”
By Kyoung Mi Choi, PhD.
A Professor at San José State University (SJSU)

Host: Eunike Sri Tyas Suci, PhD.

Monday, 22 June 2026
10.00 - 12.00 WIB
Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia
Yustinus Bldg, 14th Fl.
Jl. Jend. Sudirman No, 51. Jakarta

Free Registration: https://bit.ly/4vSF5RK

Contact: Grace (+62 818-0696-6220)

The day has arrived!
Welcome to the 2026 AIFIS-MSU Conference on Indonesian Studies. This year we are excited to present 57 distinct parallel panel sessions across multiple thematic tracks.

We have also assembled a distinguished group of plenary speakers, panelists, and performing artists for you. Here is a brief rundown of parallel panel sessions across the week.

Join us as we work together to strengthen our passion and discipline within the broad field of Indonesian Studies.

Register here:
bit.ly/AIFISMSU2026CONFERENCE

📢 Schedule Update

Please note that the keynote session featuring Prof. Jamhari Makruf has been rescheduled from to Friday, May 29.

We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you to the session.

Register here: bit.ly/AIFISMSU2026CONFERENCE