Seven innovative research projects have been awarded funding under the Western Australia–East Java University Consortium (WAEJUC) 2025 Joint Research Program, marking a new milestone in academic collaboration between the two sister-states. 

The program attracted a strong response, with 43 proposals submitted, involving 145 researchers from eight universities in East Java and four in Western Australia (WA). 

The seven successful projects will share in a combined AUD 150,000 in funding provided by WAEJUC, in addition to researcher salaries and associated costs, to deliver practical solutions to shared regional and global challenges. 

Each participating researcher will also receive AUD 5,000 (Rp50 million) in project support from their respective universities.  “WAEJUC funding these joint projects not only supports groundbreaking research but also deepens the long-term academic and institutional ties between our regions,” said Western Australia’s Minister for Tertiary and International Education, Toni Buti.  

The Joint Research Program emerged from the WAEJUC Research Summit opened by Yaz Mubarakai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Tertiary and International Education earlier this year.  

The summit was sponsored by Invest and Trade Western Australia and brought together leading university researchers as well as representatives and government and industry with an interest in developing and applying advanced research across the two regions. 

“This initiative showcases the strength of the 35-year sister-state relationship between Western Australia and East Java and the value of working together on shared challenges,” said Minister Buti.  

Since WAEJUC was established in 2018, universities from Western Australia and East Java have collaborated on more than 280 research publications. 

The funding commitment reflects the importance of the sister-state partnership, which extends beyond research into education, trade and cultural exchange. 

Western Australia and East Java have shared a sister-state relationship since 1990, fostering cooperation through people-to-people connections, trade, and cultural collaboration.  

Indonesia is a valued partner in the international education sector for Western Australia, with more than 1,700 Indonesian students currently enrolled in Western Australian institutions. 

The sister-state agreement, which formalises this partnership, was renewed in Surabaya, East Java in September 2023 during the Indonesia Connect Roadshow trade mission led by Premier Cook. 

Recently, the Premier made East Java his first post-election overseas visit destination, reinforcing the strong and long-standing ties between Western Australia and one of our closest regional partners.  

Western Australia’s strategic partnerships, including its sister-state relationships, play a vital role in strengthening the State’s engagement with Asia, which align with the Western Australia’s Asian Engagement Strategy 2019-2030 – Our future with Asia.