Research

Evidence from the archive, applied to present questions.

Our work is organised around three connected fields. Each begins with primary sources and ends with findings that policymakers and scholars can use.

01

History of Diplomacy

From the trade networks of the sultanates to a free and active foreign policy, we study how the archipelago has negotiated with the world, reading directly from the archives of those negotiations.

• Sultanate diplomacy and the spice routes
• Diplomacy of independence, 1945–1949
• The free and active foreign policy

02

Economic History

We trace how maritime trade, the colonial economy, development, and monetary crisis have shaped prosperity, and who benefited from each turn.

• Maritime trade and the spice economy
• The colonial economy and its legacy
• Development and the 1997–1998 crisis

03

Politics

We read Indonesia's political history through its institutions, parties, and ideas, as material for weighing the policies of today.

• Parliamentary and Guided Democracy
• The New Order and Reformasi
• Decentralization and regional autonomy