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The importance of understanding more about Indonesian culture and language was a key theme at a recent conference on relations between Australia and its northern neighbour.
More than 300 participants from universities, the public service, NGOs and the community took part in the Indonesia Update 2005, organised by the Research School for Pacific and Asian Studies (RSPAS), and sponsored principally by AusAID.
Australia’s former ambassador to Indonesia, Richard Woolcott, used his keynote address to urge both countries to work harder to increase people-to-people exchanges, government cooperation, and to reduce misunderstandings.
Mr Woolcott argued that cultural understanding was a key ingredient in the relationship between Australia and Indonesia, calling on the federal government to ensure exchange programs are adequately funded.
Update convener John Monfries said that speakers at the conference welcomed the recent improvement in bilateral relations, but lamented the decline in Australia’s general expertise on Asia including Indonesia, especially as negative stereotypes about Indonesia remained strong.
“Knowledge of Indonesia and of the Indonesian language is if anything dropping across Australia, if the number of relevant courses and level of enrolments is any guide,” he said.
“This makes it all the more important that conferences like this one continue to attract attention and funding.”
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