CEEP builds research and teaching connections in Indonesia
CEEP Deputy Directors, Dr Claire Doll and Dr Curtis Rollins, recently returned from a short trip to Indonesia, where they presented their research, connected with researchers and students, and explored opportunities for future collaboration.
Visit to Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Indonesia
Claire and Curtis travelled to IPB University where they spent a day meeting with students and Faculty members from the Resource and Environmental Economics and Agribusiness Departments, within the Faculty of Economics and Management.
Their host, Dr Suprehatin, had previously worked with Curtis on a funding application and welcomed the opportunity to discuss potential areas of collaboration.
The day began with an Indonesian coffee tasting in Bogor, accompanied by a discussion of Suprehatin’s research into sustainable production in the coffee industry.
Once on campus, Claire and Curtis presented on teaching and research activities at CEEP and discussed opportunities to strengthen connections between the two institutions.
The discussion was centred around three key areas:
Teaching, including guest lectures and short courses for IPB students and researchers.
Engagement, including potential student exchange and joint study programs between UWA and IPB University.
Research collaboration, particularly in areas where researchers in Australia and Indonesia face shared environmental and resource management challenges.
There was strong interest in developing research on consumer preferences across Australia and Indonesia, as well as collaboration on urban groundwater management, an area connected to Claire’s ARC Fellowship research.
The discussions also led to plans for CEEP researchers to contribute guest lectures and workshops for the IPB group over the next one to two years, including sessions on non-market valuation techniques, led by Curtis, and benefit-cost analysis, led by Claire.
The visit also provided an opportunity to experience some of Indonesia’s hospitality and culture. Suprehatin and colleagues prepared a wonderful lunch for the visitors, thoughtfully adapting some dishes for the Canadian's low tolerance for spicy food! A particular favourite was Sambal Teri Kacang, featuring small fried anchovies and peanuts served with rice.
The group also visited the university museum and explored Bogor’s famous Botanic Gardens before travelling on to Jakarta.
15th Congress of the Asian Association of Environmental and Resource Economics (AAERE)
In Jakarta, Claire and Curtis both presented at the AAERE Congress, which was a two-day conference bringing together environmental and resource economists from across the region.
Claire presented her waterwise urban greening research program from her Fellowship: Is it (socially) contagious? Capturing spatial-temporal trends of pro-environmental gardening using hazard models.
Curtis presented research from the ARC Training Centre for the Transformation of Biosolids Resources: What should we do with sewage sludge? Public preferences for biosolids management in Australia.
The conference provided an opportunity to share CEEP research with researchers from Indonesia, Japan, China, South Korea and other countries across the region.
The high quality of the research presented also highlighted the value of strengthening connections between environmental economists working across Australia and Asia.
CEEP’s growing international network
Before returning to Perth, Claire and Curtis also caught up with Dr Rizky Rahman, who completed his PhD with CEEP in 2025 and is now based in Jakarta, working in Indonesia’s Federal Ministry of Finance. Their discussion focused on opportunities to support future Indonesian Master's and PhD students working within the Ministry to undertake research through the UWA School of Agriculture and Environment or the UWA Business School.
For CEEP, these relationships are about more than individual research collaborations.
They provide opportunities to share expertise, support student and researcher development, and connect environmental economics research with policy and practice across the region.
The visit to Indonesia provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen CEEP’s existing relationships and establish new ones, while laying the groundwork for future research, teaching, training and engagement opportunities between CEEP, UWA and Indonesian researchers and institutions.
For more information
Dr Curtis Rollins: curtis.rollins@uwa.edu.au
Dr Claire Doll: claire.doll@uwa.edu.au
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