Maria Monica Wihardja

Research Interest
Digital Technology; Food Security; Sustainability; Poverty and Inequality; Jobs, Regional and Global Architecture; Disinformation and Electoral Propaganda

 

Researcher’s Profile

Monica is a visiting fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and a former World Bank Economist in the World Bank’s Poverty and Equity Global Practice. She was the recipient of the Nikkei Asia Scholarship 2023. In 2017, she was seconded to the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Indonesia as a senior advisor to the Deputy Chief Staff in charge of strategic economic issues, where she oversaw the food policy reforms and stunting prevention agenda. She has a PhD in Regional Science from Cornell University, a MPhil in Economics from Cambridge University, and a BA in Applied Mathematics-Economics from Brown University.

 

Current Research

Indonesia National Panel Survey on Presidential Election 2024

 

Selected Publications

 

Digital Technology:
‘Saving Japan from Sinking: The Role of Sociocultural Factors, Labor Market Reforms, and ASEAN-Japan Cooperation in DX.’ ‘Indonesia Shepherding an ASEAN Digital Community.’
‘Digital Transformation under Indonesia’s G20 Presidency: What Can It Deliver?’
‘Beyond Unicorns: Harnessing Digital Technologies for Inclusion in Indonesia.’

 

Food Security
‘Modernizing Indonesia’s Agriculture.’ (Co-editor)
‘Towards More Sustainable Agro-Food Systems in Indonesia.‘

 

Sustainability
‘Financing the Green Economy: Options for Indonesia.‘
‘Going Beyond Commitments: Learning Sustainability Financing from the G20.‘

 

Poverty, Inequality and Jobs
‘Fast Forward 50 Years: Will Indonesia Live Up To Expectation?‘
‘Why the Next Decade Will Be So Critical for Indonesia: It’s Not Simply about Getting Rich.‘
‘We measure what we become.’
‘Examining the Drivers of Changes in Mean Earning and Earning Inequality in Indonesia.’
‘Pathways to Middle-Income Jobs in Indonesia.‘

 

Regional and Global Architecture
‘IPEF’s Relevance for ASEAN.’
‘The G20: The Last Defence of Multilateralism?‘