In August 2023, ACICIS was delighted to attend and present at the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA)’s 2023 Learning Abroad Forum in Canberra. Consortium Director, Liam Prince and former ACICIS Resident Director and ANU PhD Researcher, Elena Williams presented some key insights drawn from the first iteration of the ACICIS Alumni Tracer Study.

Between October 2021 and March 2022, ACICIS surveyed three of its alumni cohorts—specifically, the consortium’s 1995, 2000, and 2005 cohorts. The survey response rate from these first three cohorts surveyed were all above 50%—with the 2000 cohort being the most responsive with a 64% response rate.

Key findings from the first iteration of the tracer study include:

  • Roughly two-thirds of respondents from the three cohorts surveyed indicated that they currently feel somewhat or very connected to Indonesia—with between a quarter and a third (depending on the cohort) reporting feeling currently very connected.
  • Between two-thirds and 90% of respondents assessed their study experience studying in Indonesia to have been somewhat or very worthwhile in terms of relevance to their current occupation—with between 39% and 56% rating the experience as being very relevant to their current occupation.
  • Between one-third and two-thirds of respondents reported having returned to Indonesia for paid employment subsequent to completing their ACICIS studies.
  • Between a quarter and a half of respondents indicated that they currently use Indonesian language on at least a monthly basis for work—with between 7% and a quarter of respondents reporting doing so on a daily basis.
  • Finally, between a quarter and a third of respondents from the cohorts surveyed indicated that they currently use Indonesian language on at least a monthly basis within their family life—with between 14% and a quarter of respondents reporting doing so on a daily basis.

You can watch Liam and Elena’s full presentation in a video published by the International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) below.