Brownbag’s Insights on Prabowo's Foreign Policy and World Order

The UIII Faculty of Social Sciences recently hosted an engaging session of its renowned Brownbag Series on October 30, 2024, delving into the topic “Prabowo’s Foreign Policy and World Order”. The talk featured two esteemed speakers: Associate Professor Yohanes Sulaiman, from the International Relations program at Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani (UNJANI), and Dr. Curie Maharani, Executive Director of Indo Pacific Strategic Intelligence (ISI Indonesia).

Prof. Yohanes Sulaiman started the session with his insights on “Hegemonic Denial: Middle Power Grand Strategy and International Order”. He introduced the concept of hegemonic denial, a strategy where middle powers avoid direct confrontation with dominant powers, instead focusing on establishing themselves as regional leaders.

“These states recognize their limited power,” he explained, “so they don't seek direct confrontations with the hegemon. Instead, they secure a regional niche, becoming influential actors in their own territories.”

In his talk, Prof. Sulaiman explored theories of middle-power status, hedging, and global order, using Indonesia’s recent decision to join BRICS as a case study. "Indonesia didn't join BRICS to pick a fight with the US or distance itself from the OECD," he said. "We want change in our region, ensuring neither China nor the US dominates, but without seeking a full upheaval.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Curie Maharani provided her perspectives on Indonesia’s defense policy within the shifting international landscape. According to her, Indonesia faces two major challenges in maintaining balance amid global power shifts, namely underinvestment in defense and interconnectivity.

For underinvestment, Indonesia spends only 0.8% of its GDP on defense, while the global average is 2.2% and Indo-Pacific countries average 1.7%. She argued this budget shortfall places Indonesia far below regional powerhouses like China, the US, and India.

In interconnectivity, Dr. Maharani explained that Indonesia has diversified its arms sources to avoid over-reliance on any one country, but this has created challenges. “For instance, we have ships that can’t communicate with aircraft and radar systems that don’t integrate with other military assets,” she said.

Despite these issues, Dr. Maharani believes President Prabowo will aim for a balanced approach of continuity and change. “Pak Prabowo is likely to carry forward successful programs from previous administrations,” she noted, “because why change something that’s working?”

The Brownbag Series is a prominent platform for insightful discussions on pressing social, political, and global issues. Hosted by the Faculty of Social Sciences, these sessions provide an open forum where experts and academics engage with students and the wider community, offering diverse perspectives on current topics.

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