Perdana Roswaldy
Sustainability
Supporting students to understand sustainability through people, place, and lived experience
Perdana teaches students to think critically about the social, political, and ecological forces shaping communities and environments.
What do you teach?
I teach across sustainability, human geography, economic sociology, political and social ecology, development studies, and agrarian studies.
What qualifications or professional experiences are most central to your work as an academic?
I hold a PhD in Sociology from Northwestern University, along with a certification in Gender and Sexuality Studies. I've worked as an advisor and consultant for local development planning agencies across three districts, and I also hold a Tax Certification Level A from the Indonesia Accounting Association. My work sits at the intersection of research, policy, and community engagement.
What are you doing differently in your field that you believe is driving real change?
I'm building a learning platform with plantation workers that helps them integrate environmental crises into their collective agreements. It’s a way of ensuring that the people most affected by ecological change have the tools and knowledge to advocate for themselves.
My job is to help students and communities get to where they need to be.”
Tell us about a specific moment when you saw a student transform. What happened, and what role did you play?
One of my Environmental Sociology students began the semester very shy, but over time she grew into a confident speaker and writer. She started a learning group on the philosophy of property, moderated a discussion with internationally renowned scholar Tania Li, and shifted from descriptive writing to producing sharp, critical analysis in her own institution.
My role was simply to create an environment where feedback and respectful criticism were welcomed. A space where she could grow intellectually and personally.
What's something about Monash University, Indonesia that would surprise people in a good way?
How deeply committed the faculty are to their students. There’s a genuine dedication to helping students become the best version of themselves.
What industry partnerships, research collaborations, or real‑world projects are you and your students currently involved in?
I recently worked with one of my students on a Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaign addressing labour exploitation in the fisheries and fish‑canning industry. I provided feedback on his team’s research into the global value chain of the Australian canning industry and helped refine their messaging to raise awareness about exploitation in distant‑water fisheries.
We’re also developing a labour justice module for the families of fishery workers, mapping the full ecosystem of labour, including reproductive work, that sustains the sector.
What's one thing you're working on right now that doesn't fit the traditional "academic" mould?
I'm exploring non‑traditional ways of sharing research, including zines and visual art projects. These formats make complex issues more accessible and invite broader public engagement.
If you had to explain your research’s impact and/or teaching philosophy to a prospective student's parents over coffee, what would you say?
I'd say that my job is to help students and the communities I work with get to where they need to be. Whether through research, teaching, or collaboration, my goal is to support people in finding clarity, agency, and direction.
What achievement, qualification, or milestone in your academic or professional journey are you most proud of, and why?
I'm most proud of establishing the Palm Oil Women Educational Group. It’s a space where women plantation workers share their challenges and opportunities as they pursue dignity, fair wages, and environmentally responsible lives.
We recently published a zine featuring writing from two women workers, which sparked an exchange with plantation workers in Malaysia. The group has also become a kind of citizen‑science hub, generating research on reproductive work, pesticide exposure, nutrition, and waste management in Indonesia’s palm oil sector, areas often overlooked in mainstream debates.
What advice would you give a student who hopes to build a similar career or level of expertise?
You won’t grow by trying to become someone else. Intellectual depth comes from embracing your own perspective, curiosity, and lived experience.