Join us for a Workshop-Writeshop: “Exploring the Impacts of Indonesia’s Capital Relocation to Kalimantan” Date: July 8-9, 2024  –  Location: Utrecht, exact location T.B.D. About the Event: “Following Frontiers of the Forest City” is a 5-year research project investigating the institutional, financial and physical implications of the monumental capital city relocation, not only for East…

Our postdoctoral researcher, Bosman Batubara, along with his colleagues, has published a paper discussing the formation of an urban poor settlement known as ‘kampungkota’ in North Jakarta, Indonesia. This was Indonesia’s existing Capital City before moving to Nusantara in Kalimantan in mid-2024. The paper highlights the tension between direct actions and electoral politics. The paper…

On Thursday, August 10, 2023, the Forest City Research Consortium, led by Dr. Kei Otsuki, Chair of International Development Studies at Utrecht University, had the privilege of attending an audience at the East Kalimantan Governor’s Office. The meeting was a significant opportunity for us to engage in meaningful dialogue about the ongoing development of the…

On February 8, 2024, our researchers (Bosman Batubara and Kei Otsuki), will present a paper at the 2024 Summer School. This event is jointly organized by the Sam Moyo African Institute for Agrarian Studies (SMAIAS) and the Agrarian South Network (ASN). The paper, entitled “Socialism-capitalism: How China’s capital expands into Indonesia’s nickel downstream industry,” is…

On 21 January 2024, our postdoctoral researcher, Bosman Batubara, was invited by Kafe Habitat, a renowned cafe in Yogyakarta, to serve as a discussant for the livestreaming of the 2024 Indonesian Vice-Presidential Candidates Debate. The debate, which took place on January 21, 2024, focused on a range of critical topics including sustainable development, natural resources…

Our recent field visit conducted on August 11-12 in the Sepaku District has revealed significant transformations in the landscape and infrastructure developments in preparation for Indonesia’s new capital city. The team discovered that several parts of the Sepaku and Tengin riverbanks, previously mangrove and pond areas, have been repurposed into ports. These ports are now…

Winner 2023 is a series of online events that showcase the collaboration between Indonesian and Dutch universities, research institutes, and industry partners in the areas of water, energy, food, health, and education. The event on October 11th will focus on the theme of “Making Cities Sustainable in Climate-Change: Just Energy Transition and Climate Adaptation in…

Dr. Bosman Batubara, a researcher in human geography and spatial planning at Utrecht University, delivered a public lecture on “Rocks for Building Indonesia’s New Capital City: Extending the Operational Landscape through Four-Dimensional Urbanization” at Soegijapranata Catholic University on Tuesday, September 26, 2023. The lecture was open to the students of the Master Program in Environment…

The Interdisciplinary Faculty of UKSW held a seminar on “Land Price, Building Rent, and Indonesia’s New Capital City Development” on Tuesday, August 22, 2023. The seminar was part of the opening of the academic year 2023/2024 for the Master and Doctoral Programs in Development Studies (MSP and DSP). The speaker was Dr. Bosman Batubara, a…

The government of East Kalimantan Province launches Nusantara Center and hosts guest lecture on Forest City project. On August 10, 2023, the Regional Research and Innovation Agency of East Kalimantan Province inaugurated the Nusantara Center, a collaborative platform for research and innovation on sustainable development in Kalimantan. The launching ceremony was followed by a public…