ACICIS is very excited to announce Helen Brown as the 2020 Journalism Professional Practicum (JPP) – Academic Program Officer (APO). Helen was the APO for this program in 2018. She will be joining the ACICIS team up in Indonesia for the January-February 2020 program.
Helen Brown has more than 25 years’ experience in writing, speaking and analysing complex subjects and issues. She regularly travels to Asia and lived and worked in Indonesia for four years as a Correspondent for the ABC. She is the Fellow for Digital Economy at The Australia Indonesia Centre, where she keeps across tech trends and writes and presents on contemporary Indonesia and its role in Asia. Her passion is to draw people’s attention to important issues about the Australia/Asia relationship, particularly the capacity to improve it. Her critical insights into the region come from first-hand experience in reporting on the Indonesian government, economy and society, and she maintains a strong network in Indonesia’s private and public sectors. Helen manages a start-up www.bisnisasia.com which aims to improve business inter-cultural competence and knowledge between East and West.
The ACICIS Journalism Professional Practicum (JPP) offers Australian journalism students the opportunity to collaborate with Indonesian peers and media professionals, and allows them to gain valuable professional experience working within Indonesia’s vibrant media industry. Students undertake a two week academic program which includes intensive Indonesian language classes and industry seminars, followed by a supervised industry placement at an Indonesian or international media organisation.
An Academic Program Officer is assigned to each of ACICIS’ professional practicum programs to oversee all aspects of a program, including the supervision of its academic content and assessment of student performance. The APO and ACICIS Resident Director oversee application vetting, participant selection, and work placement allocation. During the program in Indonesia, the APO meets regularly with a student’s Host Organisation placement supervisor – and with the student themselves – to provide mentorship, to ensure that a student is getting the most out of their placement, and to assess a student’s performance. The APO provides students with advice on academic and industry-specific matters, and offers pastoral care and emergency assistance where necessary. The APO also plays a key role in curating and delivering the series of industry seminars that students undertake in the first two weeks of their program.
ACICIS is delighted to welcome Helen back as the supervising academic for the 2020 JPP. Participating students will be extremely well served by Helen’s experience, expertise, connections and passion when it comes to the Australia/Asia relationship.
