Experiencing Indonesia – 30 years of ACICIS
Edited by: Kirrilee Hughes, Kate Naidu, David Reeve
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Launch Event
When: August 2026* | Where: Sydney, Australia* | Who: Open to public.
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About the book
Thirty years ago, a small grant from the Keating Government seeded something that would change the lives of thousands of young Australians. What began as a modest experiment in in-country Indonesian study has since grown into one of the most distinctive student mobility programs in the Indo-Pacific. Finally, for the first time, its full story is being told in print.
What the book covers
This book examines the many and varied dimensions of the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) and celebrates its 30th anniversary. Charting the institutional history of ACICIS alongside the development, innovation and impact of its programs, this volume captures personal insights from ACICIS alumni as well as staff members and partners from Australia and Indonesia. Contributors bring diverse perspectives and insights to reflect on and analyse the significance of ACICIS programs.
“The working environment then was very different from today. Despite academic and administrative staff at Australian universities having access to office computers with email capacity since the 1980s, wireless telephony and digital voice communication technology were still in their infancy. There were no mobile phones. There was no Voice over Internet Protocol telephony. International phone calls were extremely expensive, with connections to Indonesia often erratic. The ACICIS RD’s home office had no telephone line, and with the limited infrastructure available in Yogyakarta, it would be two months before one could be connected.” David T. Hill, p 27
This book highlights the pioneering structures that enabled in‑country, experiential learning for young Australians in Indonesia; the development of highly innovative programs created in collaboration with Indonesian partners; and the impact of ACICIS on participants, staff, partners and host communities as well as on broader Australia–Indonesia bilateral relations. This rich and varied account of ACICIS’ context, operations and impact can inform decision-making and program design for learning abroad programs in Indonesia and beyond.
A central theme of this book is ACICIS’ commitment to experiential learning and its transformative impact on lives and relationships for individuals, institutions and communities. There are indeed many human faces of ACICIS; this volume presents their voices.
“These circumstances pushed me to strengthen my critical understanding of my own context, of what my nationality and heritage mean to me; the parts I was proud of, the stereotypes I would reject and the parts of ‘Australia’ I wanted to show others. During honest conversations with friends and in class, I tested my footing on these issues, and when I asked hard-truth questions about Indonesia’s history, I could see my Indonesian counterparts doing the same. It was a two-way process. In this sense, my classes and conversations went far beyond the immersive challenge for which I’d hoped.” Hillary Mansour, p 71
Experiencing Indonesia: 30 Years of ACICIS, published by ANU Press, is an edited volume that charts the institutional, personal, and bilateral dimensions of the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies from its founding in 1994 to the present. It is equal parts history, tribute, and analysis – a book written for, and largely by, the people who lived it.
