Eli Morgan was a participant of the Law Professional Practicum (LPP), in 2025. Eli is studying at Griffith University .
Q: Why did you decide to undertake the Acicis internship program?
For me personally, I always wanted to experience studying overseas in a completely different culture. Luckily for me, the ACICIS Internship program gave me a platform not only to study, but to also broaden my work experience in an environment with like-minded individuals. If anyone is even considering or thinking about wanting to study overseas, the ACICIS Internship program is the perfect facilitator for this, and I can guarantee you will not regret it!
Q: Did you receive a New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant? Do you think the NCP is an important initiative? If yes, why?
Without the New Colombo Plan Mobility Grant, I would not be here, and I believe a lot of my fellow Acicis members would not as well. This grant allows for students to not be economically held back in their prospects but rather enables them to experience something a lot of students would not be able to do whilst studying normally – to be able to travel as well as study at the same time.
Q: Where did you live in Indonesia (Kos, homestay, hotel, rental etc.)? Any tips for prospective students on finding accommodation?
For me I was based in Jakarta, so sourcing accommodation was pretty straight-forward, as there were plenty of options. I stayed in a studio apartment in a residential complex, this was more than enough for me as during the days I was normally outside, as I was preoccupied with my internship or out travelling etc. If anyone is looking to book accommodation, I would encourage them to go first look at the place (if possible of course, but most places should be happy to let you), look around the general area for shopping malls, grocery stores etc, and of course book the accommodation relative to where you will be working.
Q: How have you found the academic components of this program – i.e. the language classes/seminars?
The academic components of the course were straight-forward, but also challenged you. Personally, I believe that the seminars were a good introduction as in most seminars we had a professional guest who specialised in their area of industry, for example in the Law Professional Practicum we had guests who specialised in Sharia law as well as commercial law. This breadth of experienced guests emphasised the complexity of Indonesian culture and also demonstrated that each week we would be learning about something new and not just repeating the same content every week.
Q: What organisation are you interning with? (Explain your role and responsibilities)
The organisation I am interning at is called APINTLAW, which is abbreviated from the Associate Program of International Law. It is located at the Postgraduate (Pascasarjana) compound of the Indonesian Christian University (Universitas Kristen Indonesia). My roles and responsibilities were to research the adaptation and mitigation measures regarding energy transition in Indonesia, and broadly, research the role Indonesia plays in upholding its internationally agreed climate change agreements within ASEAN. As the topic of energy transition and climate change are both very current issues, this was a topic that interested me greatly and I have greatly enjoyed researching this topic, even if at times it feels there is too much information to siphon through.
Q: How have you found the work culture of your host organisation? How is it different to work experience in Australia?
The work culture at APINTLAW has been lovely, both Mr Henry and Riski are welcoming bosses and always pop in to make sure that everything is alright and if we have any questions. Comparing the work culture in Indonesia to Australia, I do prefer Indonesia as it is a lot more laid back compared to Australia, with a lot more independence and responsibility given to you.
Q: What are the main skills you have learnt during your internship?
Some of the main skills I have learnt during my internship has been working independently in a professional workspace, as well as working well with others. Learning these two skills has led for me to gain confidence in my own ability, as well as show myself that even though it may be daunting at first, with time things get easier. I for one was nervous about who I would be working with during my internship, but once I met them and got to know them a bit better, it made it a heck of a lot easier.
Q: What did you find to be the most rewarding part of this experience?
The most rewarding part of this entire experience is a bit cliche to say, but most definitely was the friends I have made along the way. Making new friends is always daunting but I always reminded myself that all these other students were in the same boat as me, likely having the same stresses as well. So if anyone is stressed about making friends during the duration of this program, don’t worry, just be friendly and open to new experiences and people and you will most definitely be fine.
Q: Were you able to learn about the Indonesian culture from this program? If yes, how was this achieved?
The majority of my experience with Indonesian culture has either been within Jakarta exploring or outside Jakarta. As I mentioned previously, the friendliness of Indonesians as a people is one to marvel at, as they are always accommodating. One of my favourite moments I have experienced here was when I went down to Bandung during a long weekend with some mates, on the last day we were there, we ventured down a random alleyway and stumbled upon a group of kids playing Uno, they took one look at us before gesturing at us to play with them, it was such a fun experience and it never would have occurred if we did not go outside and explore different parts of a city or place where normally you might not usually go to.
Q: How will the internship benefit or influence your future career?
I would like to say that this internship will benefit my career through giving me experience in working in a law-orientated workplace, this being international law, a branch of law which really interests me. Additionally, I think it is just as important to remember that going overseas and leaving your family and friends behind for a large amount of time, especially as a younger student, is no easy feat, and being able to fully immerse yourself in a different culture, city, and country, does wonders for your broader worldview and for me personally has enabled me to not never hinder myself if there is ever a job opportunity overseas for me in the future.
Q: Would you recommend this program to your friends?
I would highly recommend this program to my friends. It is completely normal to have doubts over things like this, I had mine too, but ultimately I know that if I did not take this opportunity, it is something I would regret.
Q: Favourite Indonesian word/phrase:
Saya berbicara sedikit bahasa Indonesia! Tidak bagus.
Q: What did you get up to in your free-time? i.e. in the evenings and on weekends.
Free time on the weekends was mostly spent outside Jakarta travelling on the weekends, whether thats to places like Bogor, Bandung or Yogjakarta. In the evenings I would like to normally either order food in or go outside and explore and eat out.
Q: What surprised you about Indonesia? Any new insights?
The one thing that surprised me about Indonesia was just how chaotic the traffic is, but even more surprising to me was how they made it work. I remember thinking to myself when I arrived in Jakarta, how am I ever going to be on time for work if this is how busy it gets sometimes, but luckily alternate transport such as trains and bikes make it a lot more manageable and time effective. Another thing that surprised me about Indonesia was just how kind everybody is, just your everyday people, walking down the street you would obviously get a few stares being a foreigner, but also majority of the time you get a beaming smile in your direction, as well as a friendly wave and hello. The welcoming nature of Indonesians is one that can easily brighten your day, and I know it definitely brightened mine, more than once.
