On 10 September 2025, Acicis celebrated its 30th Anniversary with a special gathering in Canberra. The evening brought together alumni from across three decades, government representatives, university partners, and long-time friends of the consortium. It was a moment to reflect on how far Acicis has come since its first semester in 1995 and to celebrate the community that has sustained it.
The evening opened with remarks from Consortium Director Liam Prince, who traced the history of Indonesian studies in Australia and the founding of Acicis by Professor David Hill. He reminded guests of the vision that created a national consortium: “In pulling Acicis together, and making it stick, David and his generation of Australian ‘Indonesianists’ succeeded in opening an accessible doorway for unsuspecting undergrads—like me—to fall through and into study in Indonesia. It’s a doorway that more than 5,000 of us have now passed through.”
The Hon. Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs, congratulated Acicis on its milestone and reflected on its role in shaping regional capability: “You are equipping the next generation of Australian students with the knowledge and cultural fluency to navigate our shared future together.”
The Hon. Tim Watts, Special Envoy for Indian Ocean Affairs, spoke about the consortium’s resilience and reach: “Acicis was formed in 1994 with just one hundred thousand dollars from the Keating Government. It was a small contribution with a huge impact… It’s no exaggeration to say that Acicis’ work has underpinned the trust and understanding between Australia and Indonesia, through fostering people-to-people links and institutional connections.”
Alumni also added their voices. Dr Natali Pearson (2000) emphasised the importance of cultural literacy as a strategic asset, while Hillary Mansour (2015) offered a perspective from a more recent generation on how Acicis has shaped her professional path.
The event also saw the launch of the Bahasa Sesh competition where speakers and guests shared their favourite Indonesian words and phrases. Over canapés including sate ayam, alumni reconnected with old friends, reminisced on their time in Indonesia, and celebrated the bonds forged through Acicis.
Guests left reflecting on the extraordinary achievements of the past 30 years and looking forward to the next chapter, with celebrations set to continue in Yogyakarta this October.
