Jakarta, Indonesia — The 2025 Arryman Symposium, hosted by the Institute for Advanced Research (IFAR) at Monash University Indonesia, brought together an interdisciplinary community of scholars to examine the layered and intersecting dimensions of inequality in Indonesia. Centered on the theme “Intersecting Inequalities: Institutions, Ecologies, and Everyday Life in Indonesia,” the 13th symposium offered a platform for critical reflection on the social, environmental, and institutional forces shaping Indonesian life.

Co-convened by IFAR fellows Dr. Luthfi Adam and Dr. Sari Damar Ratri, the symposium took place on August 6, 2025, in Room 512 of Monash’s Green Office Park campus. Over 50 participants—including academics, researchers, and graduate students—engaged in vibrant discussions across panels, academics and researchers on the layered forms of inequality manifesting in contemporary Indonesian society.

The keynote lecture by Prof. Dyah Pitaloka critically addressed how power and inequality are communicated and experienced through digital infrastructures and embodied practices.

The symposium featured two academic panels:

• Panel 1: Inequality and Environmental Transformation, moderated by Dr. Lutfi Adam, examined how plantation economies generate intersecting forms of environmental degradation, labor exploitation, and debt entrapment. Presenters included Dr. Perdana Putri Roswaldi (IFAR Monash), Dr. Sofyan Ansori (IFAR UIII), and Atmaezer Simanjuntak (PhD Candidate at Northwestern University).
• Panel 2: Inequality, Care Work, and Intimate Ecologies, moderated by Dr. Sari Ratri, highlighted the politics of care, gender, and moral discourse in both historical and contemporary contexts. Papers by Dr. Nik Setiadarma (IFAR LPEM-UI) and Dr. Febi Rizki Ramadhan (IFAR UIII) addressed themes ranging from colonial-era parenting to present-day anti-LGBTQ+ mobilizations.

The afternoon featured a Fireside Talk with renowned author and IFAR Fellow Ted Fishman (China Inc., Shock of Gray), who reflected on Indonesia’s evolving position within global economic and demographic transitions, drawing connections between historical trajectories and future challenges.

The Arryman Symposium serves as a platform for these scholars to present part of the Arryman Scholars’ academic work. It is also during this symposium that ISRSF formally announces the recipients of the Arryman Scholarship for the current year. Mr. Irfan R. Hutagalung, the Coordinator of IFAR Consortium, introduced the new Arryman Fellowship Awardees for 2025: Sylvia Febiandita and Rizky Adhyaksa. These outstanding scholars will pursue PhDs at SOAS University of London this September 2025.

Professor Jane Jacobs, Director of IFAR, closed the event with a reflection on the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and locally grounded scholarship to confront urgent societal issues. She emphasized IFAR’s role in cultivating research ecosystems that empower emerging Indonesian academics to engage meaningfully with global scholarly conversations.

Now in its 13th year, the Arryman Symposium continues to serve as a cornerstone of IFAR’s mission to foster cutting-edge research, elevate critical perspectives, and promote inclusive academic communities across Indonesia and beyond.