Joash Tapiheru, Indonesia

Before I enrolled in the Master of Human Rights and Democratisation (Asia Pacific Regional Program) at the University of Sydney I worked as a researcher with the Center for Politics and Government Studies at the Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia. There, I was involved in various research activities on Local Politics, Public Policy, Democracy and Political Development.

I am interested in the MHRD (Asia Pacific Region) program because I want to improve my academic and practical skill as well in the area of Human Rights and Democratisation. In undertaking this program I also considered the relevance of those two themes, since they have been big issues in Indonesia for more than a decade. We are also still struggling to build firmer bases for democracy in Indonesia. Hopefully with those skills, I will be able to contribute more toward the development of Human Rights and Democracy in Indonesia.