Rate My Professor Indra Saefullah

Dr. Indra Saefullah, full name Dr. Hikmawan 'Indra' Saefullah, serves as Lecturer in Philosophy and Studies in Religion, Peace Studies at the University of New England's School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education. He earned his PhD in Politics from Murdoch University with a thesis titled 'Transformations of Youth Resistance: Underground Music Scene and Islamic Politics in Post-Authoritarian Indonesia.' His academic qualifications also include an MA in International Relations (Hons) from the Australian National University and a S.IP/BA in Political Science (International Relations) from Padjadjaran University, Indonesia. Saefullah's research specializations cover Indonesian politics and society, youth and development, social movements, music and censorship, cultural politics, subcultures and countercultures, Islam and Islamism with connections to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, Arab Diaspora in Southeast Asia, cultures, media, and social change in Indonesia, religion and peace, resistance studies, peaceful protest, youth activism, punk rock politics and DIY/underground movement, protest music and censorship, politics in Southeast Asia, sectarianism and sectarian violence in the Muslim world, international politics of West Asia/Middle East, and right-wing politics and extremism.

Prior to assuming his current role in 2026, Saefullah was Lecturer in Digital Humanities (Indonesian Focus) at UNE, teaching in Indonesian Studies and across Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines including Sociology, Political and International Studies, and Peace Studies. His career encompasses teaching, research, and administrative roles at Indonesian universities such as Padjadjaran University, Parahyangan Catholic University, President University, and the Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII), as well as at Murdoch University's Asia Research Centre (now Indo-Pacific Research Centre). Key publications include '‘Nevermind the Jahiliyyah, Here’s the Hijrahs’: Punk and the Religious Turn in the Contemporary Indonesian Underground Scene' (Punk & Post-Punk, 2017); ''More Than Just Devotion': Applying Subcultural Theory to Explain the ‘Conservative Turn’ amongst Subcultural Youths in the Contemporary Indonesian Underground Music Scene' (Muslim Politics Review, 2022); 'Jihad Against the Ghazwul Fikri: Actors and Mobilization Strategies of the Islamic Underground Movement' in The New Santri (2020); 'Subkultur dan Transformasi Perlawanan Anak Muda Underground' (Prisma, 2022); and as co-editor of Antimateri dalam Cegukan: Antologi Satu Dekade (2013-2023) (2023). He coordinates and teaches units such as RELS384/584 Religions of the Ancient Near East, INDN531 Islam, Society and the State in Contemporary Indonesia, INDN530 A History of Indonesian & Its Role in Society, INDN315 Contemporary Indonesian Culture, PAIS370/570 Contemporary Political Issues, PEAC352/552 Sustaining Peace in Divided Societies, SOCY356/556 State, Power & Violence, and various Indonesian language units. Saefullah supervises PhD students on topics including Islam, youth and everyday peace in Indonesian Islamic boarding schools, modern paths to power in Australian politics, and Indonesian women in punk and metal.