The ACICIS Development Studies Professional Practicum (DSPP) will again be offered in country from January 2023. The program is suitable for undergraduate students, postgraduate coursework students, and early career professionals.
The DSPP runs for six weeks in Indonesia, including a two-week intensive Indonesian language study and industry-led seminars at the Indonesian partner university, followed by a four-week supervised industry placement. The program runs from early January to mid-February each year.
The DSPP provides an opportunity for students or early career professionals to gain valuable experience working in the field of international development in Indonesia. Host organisations cover a wide range of development sector interests and include monitoring bodies, research institutes, funding bodies, managing contractors, and advocacy groups. Key sectoral interests include: the environment, governance, transparency, poverty reduction, and gender equity.
As an assessed program, the DSPP is designed to meet requirements for work-integrated learning modules and other practicum-based course components.
The DSPP is designed for students who have no existing Indonesian language skills. Candidates with existing language skills are also welcome. All industry placements provide an English-language working environment.
I have been overwhelmed by the knowledge I have gained, the friends I have made, and the deep, deep love I have developed for this country and its people. It truly has been one of the best experiences of my life.
– ACICIS Past Participant
Aims
The aims of the DSPP are to:
- Provide students with a practical learning experience with a Host Organisation in an Indonesian development workplace environment;
- To develop students’ knowledge of international development practices, and the application of these concepts and practices within Indonesia’s development sector; and
- To enhance bilateral understanding through the creation of new partnerships between Australian and Indonesian counterparts, and to serve as a medium for the exchange of ideas in the field of development.
Structure
The structure of the six-week program is as follows:
- Two weeks of intensive Indonesian language classes at the Indonesian partner university, designed to give participants basic Indonesian language capacity;
alongside
- A series of seminars and fieldtrips led by experts and practitioners from Indonesian and international development organisations operating in Indonesia;
followed by
- A four-week supervised practicum placement designed to give participants an English-speaking professional experience within an Indonesian or international development organisation operating within Indonesia.
Supervision
ACICIS’ programs in Indonesia operate under the direction of the ACICIS Resident Director. In addition, an Academic Program Officer (APO) is assigned for the duration of the DSPP to oversee all aspects of the program, including the supervision of its academic content. Participants will also be allocated a workplace mentor at their respective practicum host organisation who will manage the student’s work within the organisation for the duration of the student’s practicum placement.
Since its’ inception in 2010, the position of the DSPP Academic Program Officer has been held by a number of distinguished industry specialists. A/Prof Andrew Rosser (The University of Adelaide) pioneered the original program, followed by Emily Rowe PhD (Department of Public Health, Udayana University), Ms Elena Williams (ACICIS), Tim Mann (The Asia Foundation), Amanda Schiller (Scope Global) and Dr Maharani Hapsari (Gadjah Mada University).
Some important points to note
- Applicants should be aware that they are applying for the program, not a specific placement. Participants must therefore accept that they may not be placed in their desired choice. In addition, all ACICIS placements with development organisations depend entirely on the goodwill and preparedness of such organisations to host participants. Such organisations retain the right to withdraw from the program or vary the number of participants they host at any stage. Therefore, while acting in good faith in preparing participants for placements, ACICIS cannot guarantee any specific internship site and participants must accept this need for flexibility as a condition of participation in the Development Studies Professional Practicum.
- The visa that participants enter Indonesia on is not a working visa. Participants are strictly prohibited from undertaking any form of paid work during their time on the DSPP. ACICIS takes this matter very seriously and will take disciplinary measures against any student found undertaking paid work of any kind throughout the program.
- Participants are advised to take a laptop with them to Indonesia, as in most cases this will help them greatly in their work placements. In some work placements it is essential.
- Please be advised that Indonesian universities have a dress code which will be enforced by ACICIS. T-shirts and thongs are not appropriate.
- Orientation is compulsory for all DSPP participants. If you cannot attend orientation then you will, unfortunately, not be able to participate in the program.
