Born Global: Jakarta
Jakarta is a dynamic metropolis in constant progress, full of exciting juxtapositions on every corner. As the commercial and economic centre of Indonesia, it also boasts a burgeoning design, creative and startup scene.
As neighbouring countries, Indonesia is one of Australia’s most important bilateral relationships. Rich in telecommunications, oil and gas, engineering and education sectors, there are many professional opportunities for Australians relocating to this sprawling city, and for Alumni who choose to return or move to Jakarta for the first time.
Meet our members in Jakarta
Valeska is now the Country Manager of Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) Indonesia based out of Jakarta promoting Australian beef– an opportunity came up after her tenure at the Australian Department of Agriculture in which she worked on the bilateral animal health program for four years in Indonesia.
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23 years ago when internet was almost unheard off and watching footy from outside Australia wasn’t always accessible, Paul Halliday who moved to Indonesia for work and his mates founded Jakarta Bintangs AFL football club as they were looking for “something else to do on the weekends”.
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Trista Mutia Kasoem works at the Kasoem Hearing and Speech Center – a family business in the hearing healthcare industry in Indonesia which has established a partnership with Cochlear Limited – an Australian medical device company that designs, manufactures and supplies the cochlear implants.
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Barakalla Robyn has pursued his passion and career in the environment sector. He’s the Sustainable Ocean Initiative & Climate Senior Program Lead at the World Resources Institute Indonesia (WRI) – an affiliate of the World Resources Institute headquartered in Washington, D.C. WRI Indonesia is an organisation dedicated to developing research-based solutions to address climate change and helping Indonesia to achieve sustainable development.
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Eva Kasim requires mobility aids but that doesn’t prevent her to dream big. She took the opportunity to study in Australia after receiving a scholarship, all while she was also facing challenges and inconveniences with her limited mobility. And she even devoted time to get involved in volunteer work besides her study.
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This week our Asia Director, Stefanie Myers, met with 2016 Advance Global Mentee Thomas Brown in Jakarta. It was great to hear about his experience in the Advance Awards mentoring program.
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Celebrating all things Jakarta throughout the month of October, Advance caught up with Thomas Brown, a 2016 Advance Global Australian Mentee who is working as a Research Analyst at the World Bank Group in Jakarta, Indonesia.
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Nigel Hembrow has been living in Asia since 2010, making the move to Jakarta 12 months ago. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Astronaut Technologies, Nigel firmly believes that video-selfies will fundamentally change many business processes for the better, recruitment in particular.
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After studying at the University of New South Wales and working as an Associate Operations Officer at the International Finance Corporation in Sydney, Prashant Murthy was tapped on the shoulder and asked to move to the IFC’s Jakarta office.
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Mahadi Margiono is a system analyst by training, with a Master’s Degree in Business Information Technology from Melbourne’s RMIT.
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Jakarta-native Prita Hapsari Ghozie has many titles. She is a CEO & Financial Planner, author of two books, wife and mother of two children, and is also an alumnus of the University of Sydney where she completed her Master’s of Commerce.
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Karina Akib is an Australian business development leader who spent eight years living and working in Indonesia.
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“I came back to Australia because it was time to take stock and consolidate what I had gained both professionally and personally.”
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Born Global Spotlights
Know before you go
Check out Smartraveller advice for Indonesia – subscribe to updates and register your travel plans here.
Make the move
Thinking about making the move to Jakarta? You’ll find some useful information on visa requirements here.
Things to do
Feeling hungry? Refuel at Cafe Batavia, a well-known cafe offering traditional Indonesian cuisine, with a great view of Fatahillah square.
Feeling thirsty? Watch the sunset from the 56th floor at Jakarta’s Skye Tower Restaurant.
Top experiences and sites? Visit the 132-metre National Monument that stands proudly in the centre of Merdeka Square. Don’t forget to stop off at the assortment of food stalls that line the square!
The National Museum of Indonesia is an essential visit. A historical, archaeological and geographical museum housed in an 1862 building located in Central Jakarta.
Unique to this city? Nothing quite juxtaposes Jakarta’s traffic like car-free Sunday mornings. Wander down Jakarta’s two busiest streets, Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Thamrin from 6-11am. This eco-friendly government initiative brings street food stalls, pedestrians and cyclists to revel in their new found freedom.
Need help getting around? Look out for the Blue Bird Group, a reputable budget taxi company.
Did you know?
- Jakarta is the considered one of the largest cities in the world
- The head is considered to be the “seat of the soul” and therefore special, touching anyone’s head is to be avoided
- As Jakarta suffers from extreme traffic congestion, during rush hour cars are not allowed to have less than three passengers
- Jakarta is one of the most active Twitter cities. It is so popular in 2015 Twitter opened one of its offices there