ACICIS reports record number of students studying in-country programs

The Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS)
is welcoming its largest cohort of Australian students undertaking in-country studies.

In 2015, 76 students will study a semester-long program in Bandung, Malang and Yogyakarta across disciplines such as Indonesian Language, Development Studies, Islamic Business, Law and International Relations.

Seventy four students will also undertake ACICIS’ six-week short course programs in the Business, Development Studies and Journalism this summer, interning in Jakarta with local businesses, NGOs and media outlets.

The good news comes on the heels of ACICIS' 20 years celebration of operations in Indonesia.

ACICIS’ Resident Director in Indonesia, Ms Elena Williams, said in-country study deepens the Australia-Indonesia relationship.

"By studying and forming professional relationships and friendships, young Australian students are able to forge ‘people-to-people’ links with fellow Indonesian students," Ms Williams said.

"When students take the opportunity to study here they challenge their perceptions about Indonesia, and they challenge themselves. They form lifelong friendships and often deepen the bonds between Australia and Indonesia at a very real, personal level. These are lessons they can’t learn in classrooms alone."

Six months ago, the thought of teaching an entire class in Indonesian would have been a daunting prospect for Flinders University student, Hannah May. But the 23 year-old student is now teaching in Bahasa Indonesia at a local Yogyakarta high school, on ACICIS’ Indonesian Language Teacher Immersion program.

"ACICIS supported me to get through the semester and provided opportunities to meet new people, be involved in NGOs, volunteering and other cultural experiences that would be difficult to encounter if I was on exchange independently," Hannah said.

Murdoch University student, David Scholefield, has spent this past year in Indonesia as part of his Asian Studies degree.

In-country study in Indonesia is a compulsory requirement of his degree, and David said  studying in Indonesia was ‘transformative.’

"From an academic perspective it has given me a great insight into the education system and standards in Indonesia as well as vastly improved my Indonesian language skills," David said.

"My ACICIS experience has been one of the very best experiences of my life: the friends I have made during my time here will remain with me for a lifetime, the travel opportunities have given me a chance to travel the length and breadth of Java and I am truly humble and thankful for ACICIS and the work they do to facilitate this experience."

ACICIS believes the increase in student numbers demonstrates a new generation of young Australians with an interest in learning about Indonesia and broadening people-to-people relationships.


The next short course intake of students is in Jakarta on 2 January, 2015, and semester students in Yogyakarta on February 1, 2015.








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