ACICIS is very excited to announce Dr Kelli Swazey as the Academic Program Officer (APO) for the pilot iteration of the Sustainable Tourism Professional Practicum (STPP), running in January-February 2019.
As a cultural anthropologist, Kelli’s research focuses on the complex relationship between religion and culture in defining identities in the Indonesian public. She has served as a faculty member at the Center for Cross Cultural and Religious Studies (CRCS) at Gadjah Mada University’s Graduate School, and as a Visiting Professor at the Tourism Studies Program at the Gadjah Mada’s Cultural Sciences Faculty. She has also run experiential education courses for students and educators in sites across Indonesia since 2011. Kelli aims to unite people in the production of collaborative knowledge through public anthropology that combines research, public education, and media production. She currently manages the Voicing Diversity Project that produces digital resources on diversity in Southeast Asia for educational use in the US and Indonesia.
Hosted by Udayana University in Bali, the ACICIS Sustainable Tourism Professional Practicum (STPP) offers students the opportunity to undertake a two week academic program, including intensive Indonesian language classes and industry seminars, followed by a supervised practicum placement within a local or international tourism and hospitality company or organisation.
An Academic Program Officer is assigned to each of ACICIS’ professional practicum programs to oversee all aspects of a program, including the supervision of its academic content and assessment of student performance. The APO and ACICIS Resident Director oversee application vetting, participant selection, and work placement allocation. During the program in Indonesia, the APO meets regularly with a student’s Host Organisation placement supervisor – and with the student themselves – to provide mentorship, to ensure that a student is getting the most out of their placement, and to assess a student’s performance. The APO provides students with advice on academic and industry-specific matters, and offers pastoral care and emergency assistance where necessary. The APO also plays a key role in curating and delivering the series of industry seminars that students undertake in the first two weeks of their program.
ACICIS is delighted to welcome Kelli as the supervising academic for the pilot iteration of the STPP. Participating students will be extremely well served by Kelli’s experience and expertise in tourism, culture, religion and anthropology in Indonesia.
