Collaboration between Indonesia and the Netherlands in the Spotlight

Indonesia is a crucial partner in addressing the worlds most complex transitions. From rapid urbanization and biodiversity loss to infectious diseases and climate-driven health risks, the country represents a living laboratory of global change. For Dutch researchers, collaborating with Indonesian colleagues means gaining direct insight into these changes as they unfold.

But the collaboration works both ways. While Indonesia faces rising temperatures, urban expansion, and new public health risks, the Netherlands offers extensive expertise in systems thinking, data analysis, and integrated governance. Thus, the two countries not only share insights but co-produce knowledge by jointly developing new models for resilience and sustainable development. 

Each project illustrates the same lesson: locally anchored global partnerships are key to finding solutions to worldwide problems.  The topics range from building Indonesias new capital, the spread of avian influenza, to the health impacts of climate change.

Rethinking the urban future: the new capital project

When Indonesia announced the move of its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, it led to one of the largest urban transformations in modern history. For project leader Kei Otsuki and her team, this was not only an urban planning challenge but also a social one.

“Our project simply could not exist without our Indonesian partners,” she explains. “They bring local knowledge, networks, and contextual understanding needed to grasp what it means to build and manage a megaproject in an ecologically and socially diverse environment.”

The research brings together experts in geography, planning, development studies, forestry, and governance from both countries. What makes the research unique is the integration of science, policy, and community: direct collaboration with national and local governments, indigenous and migrant communities, and civil society organizations ensures insights translate into socially and ecologically responsible urban development.

Tackling diseases together: lessons from avian influenza

For Spencer Moores team, collaboration with Indonesia is essential to understand how infectious diseases spread and how communities respond. Avian influenza (HPAI) remains a major problem in Southeast Asia, where close contact between humans and animals creates a constant pandemic potential.

By working with Indonesian researchers and Bahasa-speaking PhD students, the team gains access to communities and data otherwise out of reach. “We learn from each other - from the farmers perspective and community disease control approaches,” says Spencer. “And those lessons go both ways.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that countries like Indonesia, with a stronger tradition of community awareness and self-management, had valuable lessons for Europe. The collaboration now focuses on learning these grassroots approaches to strengthen healthcare governance and pandemic preparedness in both regions.

Climate change and health

While Indonesia faces rising temperatures, floods, and tropical diseases, the Netherlands prepares for pathogens moving northward due to climate change. For Zenlin Kwee and her team, this shared vulnerability forms the basis of a truly mutual partnership.

“The strength lies in bringing together two contexts: tropical Indonesia and temperate Netherlands. This shared vulnerability drives an equal partnership where both countries learn how to build resilient health systems,” says Zenlin.

By combining deep local insight and strong involvement of Indonesian community partners with Dutch expertise in technology and governance, the team develops strategies for climate-resilient health systems that work across continents.

From partnership to shared future

These projects are clear examples of a new model of international cooperation based on trust, equality, and long-term engagement. Or, as one participant noted: “Indonesia is not just a project location, but  a co-producer of ideas, policy, and solutions.”

About WINNER and the Merian Fund

The Week of Indonesia - Netherlands Education and Research (WINNER) is a joint initiative of NWO, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Jakarta, the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, and partner universities. It celebrates bilateral cooperation in science, education, and innovation.

The Merian Fund is a fund for international cooperation with emerging science countries. Research collaborations under the Merian Fund are characterized by an impact-driven approach to broad societal challenges and aim to contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) worldwide. Since 2024, the Merian Fund programs fall under the global programs of NWO.