On Ear to Asia, we talk with Asia experts to unpack the issues behind news headlines in a region that is rapidly changing the world. Ear to Asia is produced by Asia Institute, the Asia research specialists at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
How Indonesia's oligarchs turned democracy to their advantage
Despite decades of democratic reforms following the fall of President Suharto, Indonesia’s political landscape remains shaped by a resilient class of oligarchs. From the national stage to newly decentralized regions, these powerful networks have adapted to dominate the very institutions meant to curb their influence. So, how do Indonesia's oligarchs operate today? Why did the post-authoritarian Reformasi movement fail to dismantle them? And with President Prabowo Subianto now at the helm, is Indonesia's oligarchic system becoming more entrenched -- or can a new generation of reformers still challenge it? Veteran Asia studies researcher Prof Vedi Hadiz of Asia Institute joins presenter Sami Shah to examine the enduring power of Indonesia's oligarchic class, and what it means for the country's economic and democratic future. An Asia Institute podcast (https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/asia-institute/podcasts). Produced and edited by profactual.com (http://profactual.com). Music by audionautix.com (http://audionautix.com)
Vedi is co-author, together with Richard Robison, of the widely cited book 2004, Reorganizing power: politics of oligarchy in an age of markets, which has been updated to an expanded 2026 edition entitled Oligarchy and the End of Reformasi: power reorganised, published by Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Oligarchy-and-the-End-of-Reformasi-in-Indonesia-Power-Reorganised/Hadiz-Robison/p/book/9781041017660 (https://www.routledge.com/Oligarchy-and-the-End-of-Reformasi-in-Indonesia-Power-Reorganised/Hadiz-Robison/p/book/9781041017660)
13 Sept 2026
Inside the education system moulding Afghanistan's next generation
In Afghanistan today, a generation of young people is being shaped inside classrooms that feel very different from the ones their parents knew. For girls and women, state-regulated madrasas are now the only legal path to education at all. For boys in madrasas, minor infractions over clothing choices or beard length are regularly met with physical punishment. And at the university level, students describe an environment where curiosity itself is banned. Even as the nation's economy contracts and millions fall into poverty, the Taliban continue to pour state resources into what appears to be a purely ideological project. So what are the consequences of policing an entire generation of young men within their own classrooms? Can madrasa education for women be considered legitimate education at all, or is it something closer to a mechanism of social control? And with graduates reportedly outpacing what the economy can absorb, is the regime risking a flood of recruits for extremist groups like ISIS-K? Peacebuilding researcher Dr Niamatullah Ibrahimi from the University of Melbourne joins presenter Sami Shah in examining the possible consequences of the Taliban's education policies. An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com (http://profactual.com). Music by audionautix.com (http://audionautix.com).
23 Aug 2026
How middle powers navigate economic pressure from the world’s giants
Earlier this year, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney drew international attention with a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, in which he warned that middle powers face an increasingly difficult international environment as great powers become more willing to use economic pressure to pursue their strategic interests. He called for closer cooperation among countries committed to an open, rules-based order, arguing that solidarity may be middle powers' best defence against coercion from far more powerful states. His warning reflects a real dilemma: nations like Australia and South Korea have already faced trade restrictions aimed at shaping their political choices, and this as the rules underpinning global trade grow shakier. So can middle powers really band together to resist coercion, or are they better off cutting bilateral deals with the world's dominant players? And what becomes of the rules-based order if the global economy grows evermore transactional? International relations researchers Dr Alexander Hynd of Asia Institute and Max Broad of Lowy Institute join host Sami Shah in examining how middle powers respond to economic coercion in an increasingly contested world. An Asia Institute podcast (https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/asia-institute/podcasts). Produced and edited by profactual.com (http://profactual.com). Music by audionautix.com (http://audionautix.com)
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.6 / 5
9 ratings
Spotify
4.5 / 5
22 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100
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52
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
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