Over the past five weeks, participants of the Acicis Business Professional Practicum (BPP) & Sustainable Tourism Professional Practicum (STPP) have engaged in an enriching and immersive experience, gaining valuable insights into Indonesia’s business landscape. Acicis was excited to welcome 13 BPP & 2 STPP enthusiastic students to the 2025 Program from January to February. The program aims to introduce students on the development of business in Indonesia, as well discuss the potential area that can or may to be improved in the future, as well as the potential for them to be pivot of collaboration between Indonesia and Australia in the future. Each student has their own unique background and we might say focus on the business sector, some are interested in finance or accounting and some have an interest in supply chain or business development in general, and of course there are two students that put major interest on tourism sector. Out of the 15 enthusiastic students, 14 were awarded $4000 New Colombo Plan (NCP) Mobility Grant by the government of Australia, in order to support their academic pursuit in Indonesia especially in the BPP Program.
The BPP & STPP Program was led by Mr. Primadi Wahyuwidagdo Soerjosoemanto as the Academic Program Officer (APO) in the Acicis BPP & STPP Program. He has a crucial role in providing students with extensive knowledge of business in Indonesia, connecting students and Acicis with a numerous number of stakeholders, and is responsible for choosing the internship placement of students. He believes the student has a lot of potential and skill to offer towards the development of the business & tourism industry in their respective placement which may benefit them in their future career.
The program kicked off with two weeks of academic sessions which took place Atma Jaya University at Jakarta, where participants attended insightful seminars led by industry experts, business consultants, law firm that specialized in business, and more respectable actors that have a significant role on developing businesses in Indonesia, with the goal to enhance their understanding of Indonesia economic and business environment. They also took part in Bahasa Indonesia language classes, equipping them with essential communication skills for their professional placements. To round up the cultural experience, they also engaged in extracurricular activities which are Wayang puppet painting workshop, Batik painting workshop, and cultural practice with Baduy people for a deeper understanding of Indigenous people in Indonesia.
Beyond the classroom, participants explored key business hubs through field trips, gaining first hand exposure to Indonesia’s corporate landscape. This year we are quite fortunate to visit Jababeka Industrial Park at Cikarang and Traveloka Office at BSD. The first visit which was to Jababeka Industrial Park gave them the knowledge of industrial area development, with diverse sectors of business within the area, with the highlights of the trip were visiting their Marketing Gallery, President University which is part of the Jababeka Business, and also their dry port which shows their business in logistic or supply chain. The second trip to Traveloka provided valuable insights into the tech-driven travel industry of Indonesia, covering topics such as digital innovation, market expansion strategies, and the role of technology in enhancing customer experience. Also, they have the chance to meet the representative of Traveloka from Australia to offer a vacancy to the students who want to join the Traveloka officer in Australia.
Ending the academic week and starting the placement week, students are starting their first day of internship in their placed company. This year, we are quite fortunate to have nine host organisation from Yogyakarta, Cikarang and Jakarta that are open to the Acicis students. This year host organisation included EduPlan Indonesia, Okusi Associates, PT. Samudera Indonesia Tbk, SEDAYU Solar, INFIA Corp, Travelxism, Institute for Sustainability and Agility, PT Jababeka Tbk, and Samator Indo Gas. During their placements, participants engaged in diverse industries such as finance, consulting, tourism business, marketing, business development, and entrepreneurship, gaining hands-on experience and professional guidance.
Acicis officials, mentors from the host organization, representatives from the Australian Embassy, and Atma Jaya Catholic University attended the program’s ending ceremony in the third week of February. This occasion gave students a valuable chance to consider their path, exchange ideas, and show gratitude to their friends and mentors. Through the combination of academic instruction, cultural interaction, and practical job experience. Participants exited the program with useful skills, important industry contacts, and a more global perspective after working with top companies and startups and learning about Indonesia dynamic business landscape and tourism opportunities.
Looking ahead, we encourage future participants to take on new challenges, push their boundaries, and apply their knowledge in a dynamic professional setting. If you are eager to explore diverse business knowledge or tourism management in Indonesia, BPP or STPP is the perfect opportunity to do so!
