AUSTRALIA has gone from the second most hated country among Indonesians to the second most loved, according to annual surveys by the State Islamic University in Jakarta.

In 2006 Australia was behind only the US as the nation most hated by Indonesians, mainly because of its troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and perceived hypocrisy over its support for Israel, said Dr Makruf Jamhari, the university's deputy rector.

But the 2011 survey showed that Australia was behind only Saudi Arabia as the most loved foreign nation. Dr Jamhari said a perceived change in Australian attitudes to Muslims had helped, but the most important factor was an AusAid program under which more than 2000 pesantren (Islamic schools) had been built.

Speaking after a conference on state and religion last week hosted by the State Islamic and La Trobe universities at Bogor, near Jakarta, Dr Jamhari said the AusAid program had attracted far more attention in Indonesia than most aid projects, while increased scholarships and other education assistance were also appreciated.