ACICIS regards the safety and security of our participants ‘in-country’ as our first priority.
We endeavour to give participants accurate, up-to-date information on the local security situation prior to their departure and to provide regular updates on any changes to that assessment. There is a range of practical things everyone can do. All participants are required to have appropriate personal and travel insurance to cover personal safety and security contingencies. In addition, all participants must have a mobile phone in Indonesia to enable them to communicate easily in emergencies.
On arrival in Indonesia, participants are thoroughly briefed during the orientation program about matters of personal safety and security. They are made aware of a range of routine security arrangements and it is stressed that they must take the responsibility for personal behaviour and safety by, among other things, avoiding any potentially dangerous situations.
During orientation, all participants register with the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. Consequently, up-dated bulletins are forwarded by the Australian Embassy to their registered email addresses as necessary. The Resident Director (RD) is designated by the Australian Embassy as the local ‘community warden’ for Yogyakarta, and is able to contact the Embassy Security Officer directly. The RD also keeps ACICIS participants informed by email of any security bulletins from the Australian Embassy or ACICIS security advice.
In providing information to participants ACICIS does not seek to alarm, but to present a balanced and considered assessment of what is sometimes a fluid security environment. ACICIS security arrangements are constantly under review and are designed to be flexible enough to respond to a variety of possible scenarios.
The Resident Director (and the Secretariat) routinely follow developments in Indonesia with specialist attention. The RD has an extensive network of contacts, both official and unofficial, from which security information is drawn from. The RD liaises with relevant staff in our Indonesian partner universities to ensure that, in their assessment, our participants are not subject to any particular threat, and to ensure the RD is immediately informed if our host universities believe the security situation on campus, or in surrounding areas, is likely to deteriorate. Contingency arrangements exist for the provision of ‘safe house’ accommodation if required in emergencies. Maintaining these information networks is an important part of the RD’s job and is taken very seriously.
While it is impossible for anyone to guarantee the security of participants- whether in Indonesia, Australia, or anywhere else – ACICIS takes this aspect of ‘in-country’ study very seriously. We seek to provide participants with a safe, positive, and uplifting learning experience in Indonesia. We believe we have been successful in meeting this challenge since our first cohort of students went to Indonesia in 1995.
Embassy bulletins include information about how to obtain the latest security information, including: