The American Institute For Indonesian Studies (AIFIS), in collaboration with Michigan State University (MSU) Asian Studies Center, presents the 5th annual AIFIS-MSU Conference on Indonesian Studies from June 17 – 21, 2025. Celebrating the growing and evolving academic study of Indonesia, the conference aims to expand research dissemination and collaboration by connecting Indonesian scholars with international colleagues in a bilingual and virtual format.
This year’s conference invites scholars across disciplines to examine the intersections of precarity, resilience, and transformation in Indonesia and beyond. Building from last year’s focus on Indonesia’s global ascendance, our theme this year “Indonesia in Motion: Aspirations and Apprehensions,” highlights uncertainties prompted by emerging trends in all aspects of life in Indonesia, past, present, and future. The conference considers the shared hopes and anxieties shaping the experiences of Indonesian and global communities. Central to this year’s theme is the duality of volatility and potential for change. We highlight national and local, formal and informal institutional initiatives aimed at fostering resilience and ensuring the wellbeing of Indonesia and the Indonesian people. Through interdisciplinary conversations, the conference seeks to illuminate pathways forward, emphasizing collective action and shared resources to navigate an era of uncertainty. Join us as we reflect on the tensions and possibilities of a world in motion and envision futures shaped by both aspiration and apprehension in the field of Indonesian studies.