After four-and-a-half years as Resident Director in Indonesia for the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS), Ms Elena Williams will be stepping down to return to Australia at the end of this year.
ACICIS is pleased to announce that Dr Adrian Budiman will be taking up the position of ACICIS Resident Director in Indonesia at the beginning of 2018. Dr Budiman holds a MA and PhD in Media Studies from Ohio University and an undergraduate degree in Economics from Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia. He has served as ACICIS Deputy Resident Director for the past two years. Prior to joining ACICIS, Dr Budiman held teaching appointments in Malaysia and the United States.
ACICIS Consortium Director, Professor David T. Hill AM, praised Ms Williams for her significant contribution to the development of ACICIS during her period as Resident Director.
“Elena has overseen an enormous expansion in ACICIS’ operations in Indonesia, due largely to the impact of the Australian Government’s New Colombo Plan,” he said. “During a period of rapid transformation she has provided excellent leadership. Her energy, commitment and enthusiasm have been infectious.”
Speaking from Yogyakarta, Ms Williams remarked that, “It has been an incredible privilege to serve as Resident Director, and to work with such a committed team. I’m very proud of the many achievements we have made together, and I have every confidence that Dr Budiman will continue to build on the strength of our programs and current growth.”
ACICIS is an open consortium of 25 Australian universities and two European universities, which facilitates study programs in Indonesia in partnership with Indonesian universities. From its beginnings in 1995 with 29 students in-country, ACICIS is now the largest such student mobility program for Australian students in Indonesia. It runs seven semester study programs, five internship programs and various other short courses for Australian and international students in Indonesia.
“Dr Budiman comes to the role of Resident Director with impeccable experience and knowledge of international education, both in the Indonesian context and abroad,” said Professor Hill. “He has a strong record of research, postgraduate supervision, and external consultancies with organisations like UNICEF, USAID and UNESCO.”
“In making this appointment the ACICIS National Reference Group believed Dr Budiman would provide stability and continuity in our leadership as ACICIS continues to expand rapidly in Indonesia,” Professor Hill added.
Dr Budiman expressed his “great pleasure” in being offered the role and indicating he looked forward to “contributing toward the growth and development of ACICIS in the upcoming year and working with Australian and Indonesian staff, ACICIS’ partners and stakeholders, and students in my capacity as Resident Director”.
………..
For further information, please contact Professor David T. Hill at dthill@acicis.edu.au or on 08 6488 6675.