2017 Jakarta Professional Practica: Program Officers

ACICIS Journalism Professional Practicum Program Officer: Helen Brown

The JPP Program Officer for 2017 is Helen Brown.

Helen is multi-media journalist with 20 years experience working in Australia and Asia including four years on-the-ground as a correspondent in Indonesia for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). During her time as a journalist in Indonesia, Helen covered the 2014 Indonesian Presidential election, the Bali 9 executions, trade disputes, and numerous international/regional security and business summits. Helen co-founded a discussion group in Jakarta between Indonesian and foreign/expat journalists to foster understanding of how issues are reported between the two countries. Helen is a recent board member of the Jakarta Foreign Correspondents Club, serving for a year as secretary. She is also an accomplished public speaker and moderator, particularly on providing insight on Asia. Helen currently works as a senior journalist for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in the ABC’s Melbourne newsroom, taking a particular interest in trade with Asia, food and agribusiness.

ACICIS Creative Arts & Design Professional Practicum Program Officer: Elly Kent

The CADPP Program Officer for 2017 is Elly Kent.

Elly Kent is a translator, writer, artist and PhD candidate in art theory and practice at The Australian National University School of Art. Her current research is focused on participatory art practice in Indonesia and how artists combine this with their individual practices; she also explores similar realms in her own art practice. Elly has lived and worked in Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia, throughout her life, and this has had an abiding effect on her outlook. She was the recipient of a Prime Minister’s Australia-Asia Postgraduate Award in 2012, and the 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art’s emerging artist award in the same year.

ACICIS Business Professional Practicum Program Officer: Fendi Liem

The BPP Program Officer for 2017 is Fendi Liem.

Fendi Liem is the founder and director of PT Selaras Daya Utama (SEDAYU), one of Indonesia’s leading Renewable Energy companies with Solar Power Plant and Mini-Hydro projects throughout the country. For his work in the Renewable Energy business, Fendi was awarded one of Indonesia’s “Ten Outstanding Young Persons” in 2012, by the Junior Chamber International (JCI).

Following his undergraduate studies in Computer Science at The University of New South Wales, Fendi was recruited by one of the world’s largest management consulting firms, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Consulting in his last year of study. After spending a year of Management Consulting formal and on-the-job training in Philadelphia, USA, Fendi worked for PwC Consulting and IBM Business Consulting Services for 6 years in Sydney, Australia. Prior to pursuing his passion in Renewable Energy in Indonesia, Fendi worked for a private management firm owned by Indonesia’s leading businessmen, Peter F. Gontha; and a media company headed by Ms Rini M. Soemarno – the former Minister of Trade and Industry, and current Head of President-elect, Joko Widodo’s transitional government team. Fendi also serves as the Vice President of The University of New South Wales Alumni – Indonesia Chapter and in September 2016 received a prestigious short-term Australia Award for ‘Transformational Business Leadership for Outstanding Alumni’ recognising his leadership in the field of renewable energy and his commitment to the Australia-Indonesia relationship.

ACICIS Development Studies Professional Practicum Program Officer: Tim Mann

The DSPP Program Officer for 2017 is Tim Mann.

Tim has more than six years of experience living and working in Jakarta. He is currently based at The University of Melbourne, where he manages the Indonesia at Melbourne blog and conducts research for the Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society. He also continues to work as a consultant on development projects in Indonesia. From 2011 to 2015, Tim worked with The Asia Foundation in Jakarta, where he had the opportunity to partner with a broad range of Indonesian civil society organisations implementing programs in human rights, media development, public policy research and civic participation. Tim began his career as a veterinarian, and spent one year working on an orangutan rehabilitation centre in Central Kalimantan. Tim holds a Master of Development Studies from The University of Melbourne.