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Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Temple in Indonesia

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Modern Languages

#1 in NSW
2021 QS World University Rankings

Department of Indonesian Studies

Immerse yourself in the language and culture of Indonesia

Indonesia is a complex and exciting country that is inextricably linked through geography and common regional interests with Australia.

We are the oldest university department in Australia to specialise in the study of Indonesian language and society. Drawing on our extensive links in Indonesia and with the Indonesian community in Australia, we offer a highly integrated and contemporary program covering Indonesian history, politics, geography, anthropology and culture.

Our study offering

Indonesian Studies

Undergraduate

*Available as a major and minor within the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Visual Arts, as well as all combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies  degrees.  

Research

Our research

Our strengths in research cover the following areas:

Contemporary culture
History
Labour studies
Linguistics
Literature and stylistics
Politics

Learn more: Languages and cultures research

Our people

Academic staff

Associate Professor Dwi Noverini Djenar
Professor Michele Ford
Mr Tom Power
Professor Adrian Vickers

Key academic contact

Undergraduate coursework, postgraduate research, Honours and exchange: t.power@sydney.edu.au

Honorary Associates

Dr Keith Foulcher
Dr Elisabeth Kramer
Dr Peter Gregory Riddell
Emeritus Professor Peter Worsley

Research affiliates

Dr Jarrah Sastrawan

Events

See our school's calendar for a full listing of upcoming events.

Indonesian Studies

Find out more about the major

Languages at Sydney event

Get a taste of Indonesian with us

Department Chair

Associate Professor Novi Djenar

Visit Associate Professor Novi Djenar's academic profile

Contact

Phone

1800 SYD UNI (1800 793 864) (in Australia)
+61 2 8627 1444 (outside Australia)

Email

slc.enquiries@sydney.edu.au

Address

School of Languages and Cultures, Room 506, Brennan MacCallum Building A18, The University of Sydney NSW 2006

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Study information, prizes, scholarships and opportunities

Student portal (Canvas)

Featured news

13 October 2021

Magnifying glass over the land of Australia on a globe

Rethinking Australia in many languages

Understanding Australia requires more than knowledge of the English language. Professor Adrian Vickers highlights the wealth of non-English sources and cross-cultural exchanges that can reorient our perspective on the Australian story.

27 September 2021

Anastasia speaking on a stage

From an arts degree to connecting global cultures

Who says an arts degree doesn’t get you a job in tech? Anastasia Pavlovic is an arts graduate with an Indonesian Studies major and a big remit to connect brands in every language in the world.

Stained glass window in the Great Hall

Celebrating student success in languages and cultures

The School of Languages and Cultures hosted its 2021 Awards Ceremony to recognise 136 students for their outstanding performance in the academic years of 2019 and 2020.

16 December 2020

Bird's eye view of the University's Quadrangle and surrounding buildings on campus

Recognising high-achieving students in language and culture studies

The School of Languages and Cultures congratulates 75 students who have received scholarships and prizes in 2020.

16 November 2020

Reflection of Quadrangle on the New Law School Building.

ARC success for University of Sydney researchers

The Australian Research Council (ARC) has announced University of Sydney researchers will receive funding for more than 50 new Linkage and Discovery projects.

11 November 2020

Collage of language graduates

How languages help you stand out from the crowd

From law to tech, public health to environmental policy, catch up with some of our language graduates who are making an impact across various fields in Australia and beyond.

09 September 2020

Collage of eight language students from the University of Sydney

Learning languages at Sydney

At the University of Sydney, we teach languages through cultures. From extracurricular enrichment to scholarship support, our students share some highlights and key opportunities from their language learning experience.

Indonesian Studies alumna, Anastasia Palovic, speaking on stage at a conference

Arts grad at work: Living in Singapore, working at Facebook

Two weeks after graduating, Anastasia Pavlovic moved to Singapore to begin a graduate role at Facebook. Although she may have arrived at university unsure which path to take, choosing Indonesian Studies became “the best decision” Anastasia ever made.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Michael Spence and students in the University's Quadrangle

Learning languages opens our minds

Vice-Chancellor and Principal at the University of Sydney, Dr Michael Spence, recently graduated with a Diploma of Languages (Korean Studies) at the very university he leads.

Colourful assortment of world flags with poles stuck into a sun-lit concrete bluish-grey wall

How studying languages can expand your world

In this interconnected era, cross-cultural and multilingual skills are integral to navigating the world around us. We talk with two of our former students who are making their mark through languages.

16 January 2020

Carole Muller in Indonesia

Carole Muller’s million-dollar bequest to support research on Bali

In memory of the former University of Sydney student, two scholarships have been established for postgraduate research and overseas fieldwork on Balinese culture.

Slums along a river

Is relocating Indonesia's capital feasible?

Jakarta has a population of 10 million and is rapidly sinking. The Indonesian Government announced plans to relocate the country's capital to the island of Borneo, but will it improve living and environmental conditions?

Lily of the Nile or African lily plant (Agapanthus) flowers in front of The Quadrangle at the University of Sydney

Five minutes with Yixu Lu

In the lead up to the University's first multilingual conference on world literature, we speak with Professor Yixu Lu, convenor of the World Literatures and Global South Conference, about the cultural and linguistic diversity of international literary works.

University of Sydney research shines in ERA results

All 22 broad fields of research undertaken at the University of Sydney have been rated as above or well above world standard by the Australian Research Council in a report released today.

05 November 2018

Sydney ranks in top 50 for arts and humanities

The University of Sydney has risen to 47th in the world for arts and humanities in the 2019 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by subject.