Jack McNaught is the founder of International Internships, and has lectured finance at Deakin University. He was a delegate to CAUSINDY 2013 in Canberra.

What have you been up to recently?

I am living in Indonesia, furthering my study of Indonesian at Gadja Madah University. I am also still managing International Internships, a company that works with universities and directly with students to facilitate internships and other educational experiences in Indonesia.

Did CAUSINDY help you form new networks and relationships?

Yes, absolutely! CAUSINDY helped me to build my network of friends with an interest in Indonesia and also put me in contact with a number of very well respected figures, which has been fantastic for the work that I do with International Internships.

What is your advice for new applicants?

If you are considering applying for CAUSINDY then I’m sure you are already passionate about Indonesia and are well aware that it is an amazing country. I encourage you to make sure you can demonstrate that passion and how it relates to your specific field of interest. This might mean reading as much as you can, strengthening your Indonesian language skills or simply talking to as many people as possible. If you know what you are talking about, you will be both better placed to be accepted into the conference and to get the most out of the experience once you’re there.

How did participating in CAUSINDY benefit you?

Mainly through meeting lots of people, Australians and Indonesians, with a shared interest in Indonesia and with lots of energy to be doing very different and exciting things. I have run into those same people again and again since – sometimes the Australia-Indonesia world can be quite small! – and have worked with some on mutual endeavours. I also learnt a lot from the presentations, which were from some of the most knowledgeable people in the field.

CAUSINDY is a fantastic conference and a rare opportunity for youth interested in the relationship between Indonesia and Australia – I can’t think of any other platform that brings together a group of people with so much knowledge, energy and enthusiasm!

Does the Australia-Indonesia relationship have a bright future?

Yes – it has to! The politicisation of some recent issues has been frustrating, to say the least, but the people-to-people relationships are still really strong and they will overcome the hiccups that we have experienced recently.

Surya Setiyaputra (@SSetiyaputra) is an aspiring entrepreneur and founder and director of Buziebee, an online marketplace startup that aims to provide on-the-job project-based learning experiences. He was a delegate to CAUSINDY 2014 in Jakarta.

What have you been up to recently?

I have been doing the grunt work of launching a startup marketplace in the space of employment training.

Did CAUSINDY help you form new networks and relationships?

Absolutely, I encountered some really bright and progressive minds from Australia and Indonesia last year at the conference. Since then, I have become really good friends with some of the candidates. The extended networks of CAUSINDY family that I got to encounter in the past year has also allowed me to expand my knowledge outside my usual area of interest.

What is your advice for new applicants?

Apply now or you will miss out.

How did participating in CAUSINDY benefit you?

I learned a lot of new things during the conference last year, and I have been learning new things almost everyday from interacting with other delegates through our online group ever since.

CAUSINDY is here to allow tough conversation to be had by youths with future stakes in Australia-Indonesia relationship – so that the future children of Australia and Indonesia can simply focus on important things that actually matter and do great things hand in hand.

Does the Australia-Indonesia relationship have a bright future?

Not if the old guards at the top and their philosophy are allowed to stay. Youths of Australia and Indonesia should work together cohesively, takeover the wheel from the current guards and steer the relationship towards mutually beneficial and mutually respectful direction – the sooner the better.

Something exciting brewing #causindy @duddya @gabdunlevy pic.twitter.com/jqYaEr6dxh

— Surya Setiyaputra (@SSetiyaputra) September 16, 2014

Ross Tapsell (@RossTapsell) is a lecturer in Asian Studies at the Australian National University, and the author of By-Lines, Balibo, Bali Bombings: Australian Journalists in Indonesia. He was a delegate to CAUSINDY 2013 in Canberra.

What have you been up to recently?

I’ve spent the first 3 months in Jakarta researching media ownership in the digital era in Indonesia. I am currently on sabbatical based at Indiana university in the US, and will return to the ANU in July.

Did CAUSINDY help you form new networks and relationships?

Yes. My friends in CAUSINDY were able to put me in touch with great contacts for my research, including research on Indonesian politics and elections, media, Papua, and Australia-Indonesia relations.

What is your advice for new applicants?

To emphasise what unique skills or experience you might bring to the cohort.

How did participating in CAUSINDY benefit you?

As well as building networks and relationships for my work, I have made many friends in CAUSINDY that I regularly catch up with whenever we have the opportunity.

The Australia-Indonesia relationship has always been one of highs and lows, motives and prejudices, causes and effects. As Jamie Mackie wrote:

“Closer engagement with Indonesia may be little more than a dream, but it is a dream worth cherishing – and even proclaiming forthrightly as the goal we should be advancing. It does not greatly matter that the goal will probably remain forever just beyond our grasp. It is the direction that the dream provides that is crucial”.

CAUSINDY points us in the direction of that dream.