Due to steady economic growth, Indonesia has successfully grown to become a lower middle income country and a regional power in Southeast Asia. However, Indonesia was created out of anti-colonial nationalism and the fragile territorial boundaries and the artificial sense of belonging have led to the implementation of centralistic government policies for more than half a century. As a result a various socio-political tension has come into existence in contemporary Indonesian society, resulting in social exclusion and marginalisation. This course will critically analyse socio-economic development policies such as urbanisation, environmental management, public health and poverty reduction and nationalism in Indonesia. Students will gain an understanding of causes of the socio-political tension and its impact in contemporary Indonesian society.