Hangga Fathana is a scholar and policy analyst focusing on Indonesian perspectives on Australian foreign policy, Indonesia–Australia relations, and Indo-Pacific strategic affairs. He is a Faculty Member in International Relations at Universitas Islam Indonesia and a Senior Research Fellow at the Perth USAsia Centre. He has taught and researched Australian politics and foreign policy for over a decade.
Hangga’s research looks at how Australia’s foreign and strategic choices are understood from Indonesia and Southeast Asia, with particular attention to regional order, bilateral engagement, and the wider Indo-Pacific strategic environment. His work also examines higher education diplomacy as a channel of soft power and long-term engagement, especially how knowledge institutions contribute to Australia’s standing and influence in Southeast Asia.
He was selected as a participant in the Emerging Indo-Pacific Leaders Program hosted by the Perth USAsia Centre, and in the Australia Awards Short Course on Strategic Equilibrium in the Indo-Pacific. These engagements strengthened his interest in the policy and strategic dimensions of Australia’s role in the region, particularly from an Indonesian perspective.
Alongside his academic work, Hangga is engaged in higher education governance and institutional policy in Indonesia. He publishes commentary in Indonesian national media and Australian policy outlets on Australia’s foreign and strategic policy, Indonesia–Australia relations, and the evolving Indo-Pacific regional order.
Research interests: Australian foreign policy, Indonesia–Australia relations, Indo-Pacific strategic affairs, higher education diplomacy, capitalism, soft power, and the political economy of higher education.
Education
Hangga Fathana holds a Bachelor of International Studies from Flinders University of South Australia (2009) and a Bachelor of Political Science from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (2011), where he wrote his undergraduate thesis on the shifting perspectives within Australia’s mass immigration program. He continued his academic journey with a Master of Arts in International Relations from Universitas Gadjah Mada (2013), focusing his thesis on Australia’s regional engagement through the ASEAN–Australia–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).
Selected Publication
Opinion & Commentary
Fathana, H. (2026, March 18). Jakarta treaty’s real test may be rhetorical, not military. The Strategist – Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/jakarta-treatys-real-test-may-be-rhetorical-not-military/
Fathana, H. (2026, February 26). What Prabowo’s Washington Messaging Means for Australia–Indonesia “Common Security”. Australian Outlook – Australian Institute of International Affairs. https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/what-prabowos-washington-messaging-means-for-australia-indonesia-common-security/
Fathana, H. (2026, February 6). The placebo risk to the Australia–Indonesia “common security” treaty. The Interpreter – Lowy Institute. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/placebo-risk-australia-indonesia-common-security-treaty
Fathana, H. (2025, December 2). Australian universities: A waning soft power. The Interpreter – Lowy Institute. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australian-universities-waning-soft-power
Fathana, H. (2025, August 27). The ‘Emu Strategy’: How Australia Can Reset Its Regional Influence. Australian Outlook – Australian Institute of International Affairs. https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/__trashed-28/
Fathana, H. (2025, May 13). Menyambut Albanese, memperkuat kemitraan Indonesia–Australia. Kompas. https://www.kompas.id/artikel/en-menyambut-albanese-memperkuat-kemitraan-indonesia-australia?open_from=Search_Result_Page
Fathana, H. (2025, May 13). In Indonesia, Albanese has a chance to reset a relationship held back by anxiety and misperceptions. The Conversation Australia. https://theconversation.com/in-indonesia-albanese-has-a-chance-to-reset-a-relationship-held-back-by-anxiety-and-misperceptions-256321
→ Republished by ABC Asia: https://www.abc.net.au/asia/indonesia-visit-from-aus-conversation/105290250
Fathana, H. (2025, April 30). No Russia in Papua? Indonesia’s quiet diplomacy speaks loudly. The Strategist – Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI). https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/no-russia-in-papua-indonesias-quiet-diplomacy-speaks-loudly
Fathana, H. (2025, April 8). Australia and Southeast Asia: Why strategic balance still matters. The Interpreter – Lowy Institute. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/australia-southeast-asia-why-strategic-balance-still-matters
Fathana, H. (2025, February 15). The monoculture of power: How unilateralism threatens global stability. The Jakarta Post. https://www.thejakartapost.com/opinion/2025/02/15/the-monoculture-of-power-how-unilateralism-threatens-global-stability.html
Fathana, H. (2024, October 18). How Australia’s foreign student cap could erode its regional influence: An Indonesian view. The Interpreter – Lowy Institute. https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/how-australia-s-foreign-student-cap-could-erode-its-regional-influence-indonesian
Fathana, H. (2024). The US–Australia alliance in the Indo-Pacific: Insights from Indonesia. Perth USAsia Centre – Indo-Pacific Strategy. https://perthusasia.edu.au/research-insights/the-us-australia-alliance-in-the-indo-pacific-insights-from-indonesia/
Fathana, H. (2024, February 2). How will Indonesia’s presidential election reshape its foreign policy? The Conversation Australia. https://theconversation.com/how-will-indonesias-presidential-election-reshape-its-foreign-policy-218357
Fathana, H. (2024). Indonesia’s democratic decline: Implications for future relations with Australia. Australian Outlook – Australian Institute of International Affairs. https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/indonesias-democratic-decline-implications-for-future-relations-with-australia/
Fathana, H., & Sulistiyanto, P. (2020, February 10). Major homework for Indonesia and Australia to implement IA-CEPA. The Jakarta Post. https://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2020/02/10/major-homework-for-indonesia-and-australia-to-implement-ia-cepa.html
Fathana, H. (2019, April 16). How Indonesia’s elections differ from Australia’s. The Conversation Australia. https://theconversation.com/how-indonesias-elections-differ-from-australias-114642
Fathana, H. (2018). Response to Hugh White’s The Jakarta Switch. Australian Foreign Affairs. https://www.australianforeignaffairs.com/articles/correspondence/2018/10/response-to-hugh-whites-the-jakarta-switch/hangga-fathana
Fathana, H. (2018, October 23). How will Australia’s plan to move its embassy to Jerusalem affect relations with Indonesia? The Conversation Australia. https://theconversation.com/how-will-australias-plan-to-move-its-embassy-to-jerusalem-affect-relations-with-indonesia-105173
Fathana, H. (2018, August 30). What Indonesia expects from Australia’s new Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The Conversation Australia. https://theconversation.com/what-indonesia-expects-from-australias-new-prime-minister-scott-morrison-102333
Fathana, H. (2017, December 31). Cabinet papers 1994–95: How a security agreement allayed Australian anxiety over Indonesia. The Conversation Australia. https://theconversation.com/cabinet-papers-1994-95-how-a-security-agreement-allayed-australian-anxiety-over-indonesia-89143
Fathana, H. (2016). Between perceptions and realities of Australian–Indonesian attitudes: A view from Indonesia. The Conversation Australia. https://theconversation.com/between-perceptions-and-realities-of-australian-indonesian-attitudes-a-view-from-indonesia-64127
Fathana, H. (2016, July 13). Views from abroad: How does the world see Australia’s political instability? The Conversation Australia. https://theconversation.com/views-from-abroad-how-does-the-world-see-australias-political-instability-61982
Fathana, H. (2016, June 23). Views from abroad: How is the world seeing Australia’s election? The Conversation Australia. https://theconversation.com/views-from-abroad-how-is-the-world-seeing-australias-election-60859
Journal Articles and Conference Papers
Fathana, H., Herdianto, E. F., & Dewi, K. U. (2024). Academic capitalism in Southeast Asia: Lessons from Islamic universities in Indonesia. Journal of ASEAN Studies, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.21512/jas.v12i2.11501
Fathana, H., & Dewi, K. U. (2023). The politics of development: Revisiting the concept of sustainable cities in Malioboro, Yogyakarta. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1218(1), 012019. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1218/1/012019
Fathana, H., Dewi, K. U., & Rohma, M. N. (2023). Me Too as transnational advocacy networks: The case of anti-sexual violence movement in Indonesia. Journal of ASEAN Studies, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.21512/jas.v11i2.8858
Fathana, H., Sutrisno, N., Herdianto, E. F., Fauzi, H. (2022). Indigenization of global trade negotiation model: Perspective from Southeast Asia. Suvannabhumi: Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 14(2), 245–273. https://doi.org/10.22801/svn.2022.14.2.245
Fathana, H. (2018). Palm oil politics in Malaysia and Indonesia: Competition or collaboration? JATI: Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 23(2), 49–70. https://doi.org/10.22452/jati.vol23no2.3
Media Engagements
ABC News. (2024, February 14). Interview with Ros Childs on the 2024 Indonesian election. ABC News at Noon.
CNN Indonesia. (2025, May 15). Memaknai pertemuan Prabowo & PM Australia. Breaking News.
ABC Radio National. (2025, May 16). Interview on the significance of Prime Minister Albanese’s visit to Indonesia.
Monocle Radio. (2025, May 16). The Globalist. Interview on the regional significance of Albanese’s visit.
CNN Indonesia. (2025, May 27). Memaknai hubungan Indonesia & Australia.
CNN Indonesia. (2025, June 14). Australia keluarkan travel advisory ke Bali.
Hangga Fathana 