In January-February 2020, ACICIS Study Indonesia was delighted to host 23 students in Jakarta to take part in the Business Professional Practicum (BPP). The students came from seven ACICIS member universities: Curtin University, Monash University, Murdoch University, RMIT University, The University of Melbourne, The University of Queensland, The University of Western Australia, and 16 of the students received a $3,000 New Colombo Plan mobility grant to assist them during the program.
Upon their arrival in Jakarta, the BPP students undertook two weeks of Indonesian language study at Atma Jaya University, accompanied by a series of business seminars presented by professionals with intimate knowledge of business and economic issues in Indonesia. The seminars covered a number of topics related to the business and economic sectors in Indonesia, including the Indonesian economy in the digital era, banking and finance, trade and investment, corporate strategy, recruitment & HR, and doing business in Indonesia.
During the two-week academic program, BPP students also visited Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) and Bukalapak in Jakarta. IDX is a Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) facilitating capital markets development in Indonesia. Welcomed and led by the Market Development Unit team from IDX, BPP students also learned about the implementation of the commitments of the Good Corporate Governance as part of IDX’s mission to create the competitive edge to attract investors and listed companies through the empowerment of stock exchange members and participants, the creation of value-added, and cost efficiency. Visiting the IDX, students obtained knowledge that in the 10 years, IDX outperforms other stock exchanges in the region.
The BPP participants also had an opportunity to visit the headquarters of Bukalapak, one of the Indonesian e-commerce marketplaces that became just the fourth Indonesian start-up to be valued above US$1 billion, and received unicorn status. Students were welcomed by Mr Even Alex Chandra as the Head of Public Policy & Government Relations of Bukalapak, and they had the chance to hear about the amazing Bukalapak story, which is now one of the most successful unicorns in South East Asia,
After the two-week academic program, students undertook four-week placements at a range of host organisations in Jakarta, including AEL Indonesia, Auditsi Perdana, Australian Mining Chamber, Bank Commonwealth, Bank Danamon, Bank Syariah Mandiri, Bis Industries, CECT Trisakti University, DANA Indonesia, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Government of Western Australia (GoWA), Institute for Economic and Social Research (LPEM), Jababeka, Kiroyan Partners, Linfox Logistics, Merck, Okusi Associates, Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ). The 18 host organisations operate across a range of sectors, including banking, finance, mining and resources, logistics and supply management, government to government trade and investment promotions, research, HR consultancy, property development, IT and social media, and many more.
We would like to extend our congratulations to all students who participated in the BPP program this year for their incredible work in undertaking a challenging and exciting opportunity to gain professional experience in Indonesia’s growing economics sector. We wish students all the best for the future!