Jacqui Baker

Jacqui Baker is a Senior Lecturer in Southeast Asian Politics at Murdoch University, Australia, and a Principal Fellow at the Indo-Pacific Research Centre. She specializes in the political economy of Southeast Asia, with a focus on Indonesia’s democratization, security, corruption, and climate-induced loss and damage. She has held roles as editor of the Journal for Southeast Asian Studies and co-host of the Talking Indonesia podcast. Her research bridges academia and policy, with extensive consultancy for organizations including The Asia Foundation, UNODC, and the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre.

Baker holds a PhD in Anthropology from the London School of Economics (2006–2012), an MSc in Political Science from LSE (2004–2005), and a Bachelor of Asian Studies (Honours) from the Australian National University (ANU). Her academic career combines rigorous scholarly work with practical engagement in international development and policy reform.

Her research interests emphasize Indonesia’s governance challenges, police reform, anti-corruption strategies, and the socio-political impacts of climate change. She has produced seminal work on Indonesia’s security sector dynamics, including analyses of police violence, elite networks, and illicit economies. Recent studies address climate-induced displacement and loss-and-damage frameworks in Southeast Asia.

Baker’s publications span critical analyses of political regimes, anti-corruption mechanisms, and transnational crime. Her work often highlights structural drivers of democratic decline and the interplay between state institutions and informal economic networks. She has advised multiple international bodies on security sector reform, anti-corruption policies, and climate resilience.

Her advisory roles include contributions to the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Justice and collaborations with regional think tanks. Baker’s interdisciplinary approach integrates anthropology, political science, and policy analysis to address complex governance challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.