Matthew Busch is a former Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute. His research focuses on the intersection of politics and economics in the emerging economies of Southeast Asia, with particular focus on Indonesia and Vietnam. 

Before joining the Lowy Institute, Matthew lived and worked in Indonesia for nearly seven years. He developed a bespoke consultancy focused on providing advice on regulatory and economic policymaking issues in Indonesia. Matthew provided analysis and research for academic institutions, donor and development organisations, and the private sector. During this time, he developed deep expertise on the energy and infrastructure sectors and produced research and analysis for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Harvard Kennedy School, and the World Bank.

In 2016, Matthew worked part-time for the Australian Embassy in Vientiane, Laos, as its Business Development Manager. In this role, Matthew engaged with the Australian business community in Laos, organised consultations on the business-enabling environment with development partners, and provided insights for the embassy’s economic reporting.

Matthew is currently undertaking PhD research at Melbourne Law School. His research uses economic history, sociology, and law to analyse the state and economic management in Indonesia. He is especially interested in the political economy of regulatory and legal institutions in Indonesia following democratisation.

Matthew holds a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Economics from Harvard College. He was also a recipient of the college’s prestigious Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Fellowship, with which he travelled to Indonesia for the first time in 2007.