Indonesia Now 2022

This event will go beyond describing the close ties and existing examples of collaboration between the two countries and dive into the growing importance of Indonesia in the Pacific region. Academics, civil society representatives, policymakers, companies and creatives will explore possible avenues for cooperation in the coming years. Indonesia Now 2022 is organised by DutchCulture, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of the Netherlands in Jakarta, and the Embassy of Indonesia in The Hague.

Practical information
Date: Thursday 1 December
Time: 09:00 to 17:00, followed by a networking opportunity
Location: Vlaams Cultuurhuis de Brakke Grond, Nes 45, 1012 KD Amsterdam
Language: English
Entrance: free, but registration is required.*

Watch the aftermovie:

16:53 Sustainable development in Indonesia – Building Indonesia’s new capital
1:41:26 Investment cooperation between the Netherlands and Indonesia
3:01:45 Indonesia-Netherlands collaboration in the field of legal and law-related education

13:11 New Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) creative industry and design
1:33:00 Cooperation in film productions between the Netherlands and Indonesia
2:54:10 Cooperation concerning colonial collections

Download the programme here (pdf)

08:30 Doors open and registration

09:00-10:00 Plenary opening

Kirsten van den Hul - Director of DutchCulture
Karin Mössenlechner - Director Asia and Oceania at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
H.E. Mayerfas - Ambassador of Indonesia in The Hague
H.E. Lambert Grijns - Ambassador of the Netherlands in Jakarta
H.E. Retno Marsudi (video message) - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia
H.E. Wopke Hoekstra (video message) - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands

10:00-10:15 Performance by Esmay Usmany

10:15-10:45 Break

10:45-11:45 Plenary Indonesia Now talk show 

This talk show will provide updates and different perspectives on the current state of affairs in Indonesia and the outlook for the future. The invited speakers discuss trending issues in the Indonesian domestic realm, such as the post-COVID macroeconomic situation, the upcoming general elections, and new opportunities in fostering mutually beneficial cooperation in various themes. It will also touch upon Indonesia’s stewardship in the age of global convergence and disruption, as well as Indonesia’s increasing role on the regional and international stage, such as in ASEAN, APEC, the Indo-Pacific and G20.
Speakers: Farida Peranginangin (Executive Director, Head of Bank Indonesia Representative Office in London), Ambassador Umar Hadi (Director General for American and European Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia), H.E. Lambert Grijns (Ambassador of the Netherlands in Jakarta).
Moderator: Remco Vermeulen (Advisor Indonesia at DutchCulture).

11:45-13:15 Lunch, kindly offered by the Embassy of Indonesia in The Hague

13:15-14:15 Break-out sessions round #1

1. New Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) creative industry and design
2. How can religion inspire a green transition?
3. Sustainable development in Indonesia – Building Indonesia’s new capital

1. New MoU creative industry and design

The Netherlands and Indonesia work together in the field of the Creative Industry in recent years in order to improve people’s way of living in a sustainable and inclusive manner. According to Indonesia Minister of Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno the sector became the main driver of economic growth in Indonesia which accelerated revival after the pandemic and created more employment opportunities. The Indonesian government is currently supporting the creation of 4.4 million new employment opportunities in this field by 2024. This shows the Creative Industry sector is rising in Indonesia. Therefore, this break-out session has the aim to inspire the audience about the possibilities to seek cooperation with Indonesian partners in the field of the Creative Industry.

The Netherlands' State Secretary for Culture and Media Gunay Uslu and Indonesia's Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno signed an agreement in September 20220, reaffirming the close partnership between Indonesia and the Netherlands in the areas of design, film and photography. In this session, Dewi van de Weerd (Ambassador for International Cultural Cooperation at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) will emphasize the importance of this cooperation.

Pascal Leboucq (Head of Design of New Heroes) collaborated with Adil Alba (Head of Playo Jakarta) on the exhibition Building with Nature at the Erasmus Huis, portraying the possibilities of natural building materials to create a sustainable living environment for future generations. Pascal and Adil will both explain their cooperation.

Dries van Wagenberg (Program Manager at Dutch Design Foundation) will share his experience working on a What if Lab, where Indonesian and Dutch designers work together on sustainability challenges in Indonesia.
Jaef de Boer, Deputy Head of Culture & Communication at the Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta, will moderate this session.

2. How can religion inspire a green transition?

How can religion inspire a green transition? This break-out session will dive into the narrative that is needed for people to make a transition towards a green and sustainable future and the inspiration that religion can provide. A narrative, for example, based on 'something higher' that shows that our happiness does not depend on what we have but on who we are; and that sometimes for a higher goal – such as saving the planet – sacrifices have to be made. A narrative, not only to bind us with nature but to help us realise that we are nature. The speakers will be Dr Zainal Abidin Bagir and Joost Röselaers, looking at the topic from a Christian and a Muslim perspective, moderated by Bea ten Tusscher.

3. Sustainable development in Indonesia – Building Indonesia’s new capital

Indonesia is committed to reaching its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic poses some challenges in achieving Indonesia’s SDGs progress. To ensure sustainable and resilient recovery, Indonesia has implemented systemic reforms in four key areas: social protection system, national health system, disaster resilience system as well as industry recovery, tourism and investment towards a green economy.

The commitment to the SDGs and its reforms is also implemented in the building of Indonesia’s new capital city. The new capital city will be a locomotive for the transformation of Indonesia towards an innovation and technology-based Indonesia with a green economy. This session will discuss the progress of sustainable development in Indonesia, including how it is implemented in the new capital city. In the session, students of the Indonesian School in The Hague and De Herenweg School will present a project design of Indonesia’s new capital city by using a Minecraft application.

The speakers will be Dr Vivi Yulaswati (Acting Deputy for Maritime Affairs and Natural Resources, Ministry of National Development Planning/National Development Agency of Indonesia), and Wiwi Tjiook (Task Force Liveable Cities IDN-NL), moderated by Puji Lestari (Coordinator for Socio Cultural Affairs, Embassy of Indonesia in The Hague). The School Project Presentation will be briefly introduced by Bob van den Steenhoven (Managing Director De Herenweg School) and Richard Meijer (IT Randsteden), then followed by a presentation by the representative of the students from the Indonesian School in The Hague and De Herenweg School.

14:15-14:35 Break

14:35-15:35 Break-out sessions round #2

1. Cooperation in film productions between the Netherlands and Indonesia
2. Investment cooperation between the Netherlands and Indonesia
3. Speed dates with Dutch cultural funds (8 min. per speed date)

1. Cooperation in film productions between the Netherlands and Indonesia

The Netherlands Film Fund is the national agency responsible for supporting film production and film-related activities in the Netherlands. Its focus is to develop and strengthen Dutch cinema and film culture both domestically and internationally. The Fund has film co-production treaties and international cooperation funding schemes with a selected number of countries. The Film Fund started a dialogue with the Indonesian film sector and ministries responsible for film to discuss concrete measures to facilitate and strengthen Indonesian-Dutch co-productions. But what does co-producing between the two countries look like? What are the common interests and benefits? And what are the pitfalls? Shanty Harmayn-Hofman, Partner and Chief Executive of the Jakarta/Singapore-based studio Base Entertainment, and Sander Verdonk, Managing Partner of New Amsterdam Film, worked together on the film production De Oost. Based on this fruitful collaboration they are currently developing new future projects. In this session, they will talk about their experiences and share their most valuable insights. This session will be moderated by Jeroen van der Zalm, Senior Policy Advisor at the Netherlands Film Fund.

2. Investment cooperation between the Netherlands and Indonesia

The investment cooperation between the Netherlands and Indonesia has been strong and mutually beneficial. The Netherlands has consistently been one of the biggest inbound investors to Indonesia among the European countries in the last 5 years. In 2021, foreign direct investments from the Netherlands to Indonesia ranked as the 6th biggest with USD1.76 billion and 1.243 projects. The opportunity for investment not only lies in the inbound investment to Indonesia but also in outbound investment from Indonesia to the Netherlands. A wide range of Indonesian companies with diverse products is looking for investment opportunities around the world, including in the Netherlands. This session will explore investment opportunities, both inbound and outbound, that can be maximized by investors in both countries. The speakers will be Sri Endang Novitasari (Director of Investment Promotion for American and European Regions, Indonesian Ministry of Investment/BKP), Royhan N. Wahab (Minister Counsellor for Economic Affairs, Embassy of Indonesia in The Hague) and Lowri van der Linden (Director of Investment Projects EMEA & SE Asia/Oceania, Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency/NFIA). The session will be moderated by Andrea Stefanus (Embassy of Indonesia in The Hague).

3. Speed dates with Dutch cultural funds

International Heritage Cooperation - Matching Fund 2021-2024 - Astrid Mörk and/or Marcel Feil
The Matching Fund is meant for projects that contribute to the visibility of the history and heritage that connects the Netherlands with a partner country like Indonesia. Legal entities established in the Netherlands can submit an application for a project. This may be a heritage institution or heritage professional and/or a cultural institution or cultural professional. We can advise on your application and the impact it makes, as well as enrich your network.

Erasmus Huis - Yolande Melsert and/or Jaef de Boer
Erasmus Huis is the cultural centre of the Netherlands in Jakarta focusing on cultural programmes, performing arts and exhibitions. We also offer dance, films and lectures. We bring together Dutch and Indonesian artists via a wide range of disciplines. We support new talent, mutual cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands is important.

Rijksdienst Voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) - Kamal Afarmach (Business Development Manager Asia
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency helps entrepreneurs achieve their international ambitions with information on export markets. We can also help you with finding business partners and applying for financial support. Advise on how we facilitate Dutch companies in doing business in Indonesia.

Mondriaan Fund - Veysel Yuce
The Mondriaan Fund supports and promotes the visual arts and cultural heritage in the Netherlands. We provide grants for international exhibitions of Dutch visual artists or visual artists based in the Netherlands. We also support them via our residency program and provide grants for a residency period abroad. In addition, we have a mobility grant for visual artists and curators from the Netherlands.

The Creative Industries Fund NL (Stimuleringsfonds) - Roxanne Minten
The Creative Industries Fund NL is the cultural fund for design, architecture, digital culture and any crossovers between them. We finance special and innovative projects, research and activities of designers, makers and cultural institutions in the creative industry.

The Culture Participation Fund - Lidian Fleers
We focus on cultural participation, intangible heritage and cultural education, we promote a culture that invites and facilitates everyone’s participation. We support cultural projects by allocating grants. Most of our schemes are project grants. This means that they do not cover fixed charges, but are intended for temporary projects. For the execution we encourage the involvement of the participants, the project focuses on cultural education or participation, and mutual cooperation is important.

The Netherlands Film Fund - Jeroen van der Zalm
The Film Fund is the national agency responsible for supporting film production and film-related activities in the Netherlands. Its focus is to develop and strengthen Dutch cinema and film culture both domestically and internationally.

Nuffic Neso Indonesia - Inty Dienasari (Education Promotion Coordinator) & Emi Fumita (Student Counsellor)
Official representative of Nuffic in Indonesia for all matters concerning Dutch higher education. We facilitate institutional cooperation between the Dutch and Indonesian knowledge sectors; we manage projects and stakeholder engagement, organise events and implement and support scholarship programmes for both Indonesian and Dutch students; we promote Dutch higher education to increase student and staff mobility between Indonesia and the Netherlands; we intensify ties and connect members of the NL alumni Network with relevant parties in Indonesia and we support the Dutch knowledge sector in close collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Jakarta and a broad range of Dutch and Indonesian education institutions, as well as with a variety of relevant Indonesian government ministries, regional and local governments, research institutions, scholarship providers, international organizations and the business sector.

15:35-15:55 Break

15:55-16:55 Break-out sessions round #3

1. Cooperation concerning colonial collections
2. Indonesia-Netherlands collaboration in the field of legal and law-related education
3. Speed dates with Dutch cultural funds (8 min. per speed date)

1. Cooperation concerning colonial collections

The return of cultural objects to the countries of origin is much debated at the moment. The topic was also on the agenda of State Secretary of Culture and Media Gunay Uslu during her recent visit to Indonesia. Indonesia and the Netherlands concluded that they will work together to facilitate the return of objects and intensify cooperation in the field of museum and collection research. In this session Hasti Tarekat (Heritage Hands-on), Mirjam Shatanawi (museum consultant), Adieyatna Fajri (PhD candidate at NIOD) and Robert Verhoogt (Ministry of Education, Culture and Science) will give insight into the policy regarding colonial collections, conducting provenance research and facilitating exchange and cooperation between museums, and will discuss how to bring this topic forward. Moderator: Remco Vermeulen

2. Indonesia-Netherlands collaboration in the field of legal and law-related education

The Netherlands and Indonesia have a longstanding relationship in the fields of rule of law and security cooperation. The two countries' legal systems share a number of commonalities in substantive law and legal structure. For this reason, Dutch sources of law and experiences are potentially more relevant to Indonesia than those of other countries. Such 'systemic' similarities are likely to promote an effective exchange of information. Over the years Indonesian and Indonesian and Dutch legal institutions, researchers and practitioners have been actively collaborating in the legal and security sector through research, providing technical assistance in Indonesia and running cooperation projects between organizations. This has resulted in an extensive network throughout Dutch and Indonesian academia, civil society, the private sector and the government, including hundreds of Indonesian alumni who studied law or other legal studies in the Netherlands. This session in Indonesia Now 2022 will present some insights into this important component of the Indonesia-Dutch Knowledge and Education Collaboration.
Speakers: Emily van Rheenen, Centre for International Legal Cooperation (CILC): highlights of the fourth Indonesia - Netherlands Legal and Security Update (INLU) 2022,
Prof Adriaan Bedner - Van Vollenhoven Institute - Leiden University: Strengthening Legal Education in Eastern Indonesia, reflections on an Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) supported project,
Immanuel Hutasoit, Head of International Relations, Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia (Mahkama Konstitusi), Chair IamStuNed Alumni Association: from network to new knowledge, the importance of NL Alumni in legal collaboration,
Moderator: Marieke Nieuwendijk, Nuffic

3. Speed dates with Dutch cultural funds

International Heritage Cooperation - Matching Fund 2021-2024 - Astrid Mörk and/or Marcel Feil
The Matching Fund is meant for projects that contribute to the visibility of the history and heritage that connects the Netherlands with a partner country like Indonesia. Legal entities established in the Netherlands can submit an application for a project. This may be a heritage institution or heritage professional and/or a cultural institution or cultural professional. We can advise on your application and the impact it makes, as well as enrich your network.

Erasmus Huis - Yolande Melsert and/or Jaef de Boer
Erasmus Huis is the cultural centre of the Netherlands in Jakarta focusing on cultural programmes, performing arts and exhibitions. We also offer dance, films and lectures. We bring together Dutch and Indonesian artists via a wide range of disciplines. We support new talent, mutual cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands is important.

Rijksdienst Voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) - Kamal Afarmach (Business Development Manager Asia
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency helps entrepreneurs achieve their international ambitions with information on export markets. We can also help you with finding business partners and applying for financial support. Advise on how we facilitate Dutch companies in doing business in Indonesia.

Mondriaan Fund - Veysel Yuce
The Mondriaan Fund supports and promotes the visual arts and cultural heritage in the Netherlands. We provide grants for international exhibitions of Dutch visual artists or visual artists based in the Netherlands. We also support them via our residency program and provide grants for a residency period abroad. In addition, we have a mobility grant for visual artists and curators from the Netherlands.

The Creative Industries Fund NL (Stimuleringsfonds) - Roxanne Minten
The Creative Industries Fund NL is the cultural fund for design, architecture, digital culture and any crossovers between them. We finance special and innovative projects, research and activities of designers, makers and cultural institutions in the creative industry.

The Culture Participation Fund - Lidian Fleers
We focus on cultural participation, intangible heritage and cultural education, we promote a culture that invites and facilitates everyone’s participation. We support cultural projects by allocating grants. Most of our schemes are project grants. This means that they do not cover fixed charges, but are intended for temporary projects. For the execution we encourage the involvement of the participants, the project focuses on cultural education or participation, and mutual cooperation is important.

The Netherlands Film Fund - Jeroen van der Zalm
The Film Fund is the national agency responsible for supporting film production and film-related activities in the Netherlands. Its focus is to develop and strengthen Dutch cinema and film culture both domestically and internationally.

Nuffic Neso Indonesia - Inty Dienasari (Education Promotion Coordinator) & Emi Fumita (Student Counsellor)
Official representative of Nuffic in Indonesia for all matters concerning Dutch higher education. We facilitate institutional cooperation between the Dutch and Indonesian knowledge sectors; we manage projects and stakeholder engagement, organise events and implement and support scholarship programmes for both Indonesian and Dutch students; we promote Dutch higher education to increase student and staff mobility between Indonesia and the Netherlands; we intensify ties and connect members of the NL alumni Network with relevant parties in Indonesia and we support the Dutch knowledge sector in close collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Jakarta and a broad range of Dutch and Indonesian education institutions, as well as with a variety of relevant Indonesian government ministries, regional and local governments, research institutions, scholarship providers, international organizations and the business sector.

16:55-18:30 Networking opportunity with drinks and snacks

Download the programme here (pdf)

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