As SMERU’s Institute Secretary, Heni focuses on linking research to policy to build stakeholder engagement and support interlinked institutions, formally and informally. Her work addresses crosscutting policy and governance issues involving complex interactions among diverse actors and institutions at multiple levels: the government, NGOs, academics, communities, and international development agencies. She has intensively worked on developing collaborations between independent research organizations and policymakers. She has closely engaged with policymakers at national, provincial, and district levels through projects, such as Regional Development Forum.

She is currently tasked with building connections between SMERU and international stakeholders through various activities of Task Force 5 of Think20 (T20) on Inequality, Human Capital, and Well-Being. She is also leading the capacity building program for a young generation of researchers through SMERU’s internship program, in cooperation with various universities in Indonesia and other countries. In her role as Institute Secretary, she oversees staff working on developing a knowledge management system, as well as communication and partnership officers.

Prior to becoming Institute Secretary, Heni was a consultant and a senior researcher for SMERU. She led the design and development of a five-year research project, namely the Research on Improving Systems of Education (RISE) in Indonesia, and Australia-Indonesia Governance Research Partnership (AIGRP) managed by Crawford School of Economic & Governance of the Australian National University (ANU). She also worked as a journalist working on economic and environmental issues at a reputable weekly news magazine.

Heni is also a social scientist and policy analyst specializing in systems of innovation, and environmental policy and governance with 20 years of work experience, including in program management. She is interested in emerging social, economic, political economic, and ecological transitions to sustainability in the Asia-Pacific Region. Her research focuses on broad issues of development and poverty reduction, with areas of research related to social forestry, agriculture, water privatization, and education. Heni is also a member of a global network of Women in Think Tanks.

Heni has written articles in international journals and presented in international conferences on education, ecosystem management, and climate change. She was also invited as a guest lecturer on ecosystem management and society, and was affiliated with a project on youth and agriculture in the University of Melbourne, Australia. She was also a guest lecturer on public administration at Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia.