ACICIS to launch language and law programs in Indonesia in 2017-18 after securing $1.9 million in New Colombo Plan funding
PERTH – Friday, September 2, 2016. The Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan Mobility Program will provide a fresh boost of support for Australian undergraduate students wanting to study and intern in Indonesia through the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS), with the announcement this week of $1.9 million of new funding awarded to the educational consortium.
The 2017 round of New Colombo Plan’s Mobility Program is set to provide just over $20 million in short-term and semester-long mobility grants for Australian undergraduate students undertaking study in 31 Indo-Pacific locations in 2017-2018.
The funding awarded to ACICIS will provide 371 mobility grants, as well as an additional 134 internship grants, to support students from the consortium’s 24 Australian member universities to undertake study and internships in Indonesia in a wide range of disciplines including business and commerce, international relations, and development studies. The latest funding will also support the launch – in late 2017 and early 2018 – of two new ACICIS short-course study options in Indonesia: an Indonesian language short course program and a six-week professional practicum program for Australian law students.
In 2017 ACICIS will also receive a further $272,800 for the second year of multi-year projects announced in 2015 to assist 65 students to undertake ACICIS’ new programs in agriculture, public health, and creative arts and design.
Speaking from her office in Yogyakarta, ACICIS Resident Director, Elena Williams, expressed her delight with this latest New Colombo Plan funding announcement – in particular with the support for the establishment of an ACICIS study option catering to Australian law students.
“ACICIS’ Law Professional Practicum program will be a fantastic opportunity for Australian law students seeking an immersive introduction to the Indonesian legal system”, Ms Williams said. “With Indonesia and Australia sharing extensive maritime boundaries, matters of international law, national sovereignty, security and transnational law-enforcement remain prevalent issues within the Australia-Indonesia bilateral relationship. Moreover, with increasingly important commercial, trade and tourism links between Australia and Indonesia, understanding the legal system of Australia’s northern neighbour has never been more important”, Ms Williams added.
ACICIS Consortium Director, Professor David T. Hill, AM, was similarly delighted with the latest funding announcement.
“ACICIS is extremely grateful for the New Colombo Plan’s continuing support for the consortium’s activities in Indonesia”, Professor Hill stated. “It demonstrates a deep trust and confidence in the organisation’s reputation and experience and also support for the consortium model”, said Professor Hill. “We are delighted that so many Australian undergraduates will have the opportunity to undertake transformative experiences in Indonesia, and that funding for a tailored Indonesian language short course program will ensure students from across the consortium’s membership are able to develop key Indonesian language skills alongside their studies in law, business, journalism, and other discipline areas”.
The New Colombo Plan Mobility Program has already supported over 190 Australian undergraduate students to undertake ACICIS programs in Indonesia since 2015. ACICIS has also supported numerous New Colombo Plan Scholars to undertake semester-long study in Indonesia.
Click here for a PDF of the full media release.
The Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies known as ACICIS (pronounced “Ah-Chee-Chis” as an Indonesian would) has been opening doors to tertiary institutions throughout Indonesia since 1994. Today ACICIS is the longest running provider of in-country Indonesian study programs for Australian university students and the primary mechanism through which Australian students pursue study in Indonesia for academic credit. The ACICIS consortium currently counts among its membership twenty-four Australian universities (including all of Australia’s Group of Eight) as well as overseas centres-of-excellence in the field of Indonesian and Southeast Asian Studies such as SOAS University of London and Leiden University. The consortium’s activities are coordinated by a national secretariat hosted by The University of Western Australia. For more information, please visit: www.acicis.edu.au
For further media comment, please contact:
Mr Liam Prince
ACICIS Secretariat Manager
+61 8 6488 6676