In its Semester 46 (January 2018) cohort, ACICIS welcomed to Bandung nine students enrolling in ACICIS’ International Relations Program (IRP) and West Java Field Study (WJFS) at Parahyangan Catholic University (UNPAR). Seven students undertook this program supported by the New Colombo Plan Mobility Program and one student supported by the New Colombo Plan Scholarship.
Alongside their academic studies at UNPAR, eight students chose to undertake the IRP Professional Placement. During their placements, they were involved in the projects conducted by their host organisations, which focused on community development, business, research, and environment. Two WJFS students also concluded their field study, both focusing on Indonesian communities. Last month, we wrapped up the semester with final presentations and a farewell dinner.
Georgia Leyendekkers (Murdoch University) presented on her paper “Skin and ‘Suku’: Tolerating Intolerance in the Special Region of Yogyakarta” after doing her field study in Yogyakarta. She presented her findings in Bahasa Indonesia. As part of her program, she also undertook a professional placement this semester with the Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Justice (AIPJ). She had the opportunity to assist works in the Jakarta office, including copy-editing and giving critical feedback to project proposals, assisting with a workshop in youth capacity of preventing child marriage, and engaging with AIPJ’s partners.
Leonard Vogel (The University of Sydney) spent the semester doing his field study in Bandung and he presented his findings on his paper “Kampungs to Komplex: The Stratification of Indonesian Residency”.
This semester, two students undertook their placement with Yayasan AKATIGA, which has consistently hosted ACICIS students for the past few semesters. Eva van Dijk (RMIT University) and Madeleine Haslett (University of the Sunshine Coast) completed their placement and had the opportunity to assist AKATIGA with their on-going projects. Madeleine actively assisted AKATIGA with translations and research. Eva, alongside her task of copy-editing and documentation, took the initiative of writing a working paper on the Indonesian Presidential Decree on Procurement, an issue of which has been advocated by the NGO.
Local think-tank Resilience Development Initiative (RDI) hosted James Stefanuto (The University of Western Australia), this semester. As RDI focuses on disaster relief, environment, and sustainable development, James had the opportunity to conduct research on such areas alongside his colleagues. By the end of his placement, James was able to produce an academic journal on disaster governance.
Amber Perez-Wright (University of Tasmania) was placed in a local NGO, Greeneration Foundation. Amber was involved in managing the organisation’s social media. She contributed in planning the content and designing the artwork as a part of the Greeneration Foundation’s publication initiative.
Philip Hibbard (The University of Sydney) had the opportunity to undertake his placement with the Australian Consulate-General in Makassar. He assisted the Con-Gen with a broad range of tasks, including research, event management, and official travel.
Migrant Care, an organisation focusing on the protection of Indonesian migrant workers, hosted Aster Haile (RMIT University) this semester. Aster contributed to the organisation’s publications with her translations and copy-editing. She also had the opportunity to join Migrant Care’s field work in Lembata and Lombok, where she directly engaged with ex-migrant workers and locals planning to work abroad.
Todd Geasland (Griffith University) undertook his placement with BEDO, a non-profit based in Bali focusing on business development. Todd had the opportunity to work on a project where he revamped the organisation’s website content to make it more accessible and attractive to local business owners.
We closed the semester in a farewell dinner where students and ACICIS staff enjoyed a meal with a side of exciting games and trivia. ACICIS is proud of what the students have achieved this semester! We wish anak-anak Bandung the best of luck for their future endeavours and beyond. Sampai bertemu lagi!
