ACICIS welcomed 265 students from Monash University for its international flagship program, Global Immersion Guarantee, in late 2023 and early 2024 (summer blocks) and mid-2024 (winter block). This program focused on fieldwork that explores the interconnections between the environment, society, energy, and technology, utilising in-country case studies as practical examples.
The Global Immersion Guarantee program was designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of the complexities and challenges involved in implementing sustainable and innovative solutions. Each program block lasts for two weeks, offering an intensive and immersive experience. During this time, students will engage in various activities, including field visits at cultural and environmental sites, community interactions, local insights sessions led by local experts, and reflect and reframe sessions led by Monash academics.
The program was conducted in two cities, Yogyakarta and Jakarta, with each block accommodating 30 to 60 students alongside Monash staff representatives. This program is conducted in two cities: Yogyakarta and Jakarta. In Yogyakarta, ACICIS partnered with Universitas Gadjah Mada as the host university. As for Jakarta, Atma Jaya Catholic University is the host university.
In Yogyakarta, the program focused on themes of Rural and Urban Development and Energy Security. In the first week, Monash students got to immerse themselves in local culture by having an Indonesian language class, following a lecture on Indonesian Modern History, Culture, Politics and Society delivered by an expert from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences Universitas Gadjah Mada and a cultural visit to Prambanan. Additionally, they were exposed to numerous issues and challenges such as sustainability in Indonesia from various perspectives, which were academics, NGO, and business; rural and urban development by experts from Universitas Gadjah Mada. Followed by a rural development field visit to Nglanggeran Community Based Tourism Village and urban development field visits to Kali Code and Kali Gajah Wong.
In their second week, they explored renewable energy and energy security issues in Indonesia. These include local insight sessions by local experts and field visits to Kedungrong Micro Hydro Power Plant and Wanagama Educational Forest. They were also introduced to Indonesian puppets and batik, as well as participated in a workshop on making them and bring them home as a token of remembrance. The program concluded with a final presentation where the students presented their findings, followed by a closing ceremony and farewell dinner.
In Jakarta, the focus shifted to urbanisation and energy security. Students examined the complexities of urban development and energy security challenges, with insights provided by industry experts and practitioners. One of the workshop’s highlights was the upcycling fashion workshop from Setali Indonesia where the students can ignite their creativity while also learning about reducing fashion waste.
They have an opportunity to explore Jakarta’s busy streets and business district to see a contrast from the other side of Jakarta. They went to a densely populated area in West Jakarta to see urban development and planning and learn about its rich history, one of the Chinatown areas dating back to the 18th century. Other than that, the students visited Cilincing, a fisherman village and with help from the local fisherman community, students immerse themselves in the urban development issue in North Jakarta, which is struggling with pollution and waste management.
The second week in Jakarta continued the exploration of energy security, featuring visits to Greater Jakarta’s largest landfill and the PLTSa Bantar Gebang waste-to-energy power plant, which converts tons of waste into electricity daily. Cultural immersion was also a key component, as students learned about Betawi culture at Setu Babakan, an area dedicated to preserving Betawi Culture, to learn about its history and traditions, including traditional Betawi dance and mini ondel-ondel doll workshop.
The Global Immersion Guarantee program successfully provided students with a transformative experience through its combination of intensive fieldwork and cultural immersion in Indonesia. ACICIS would like to congratulate all of the students who have finished the program and hope it has enriched their academic knowledge while fostering a greater appreciation for Indonesian culture and traditions. As these students return to their educational pursuits, they carry valuable insights and experiences that will shape their perspectives on global sustainability and development.