ACICIS Study Indonesia was delighted to welcome 18 students on our Development Studies Professional Practicum (DSPP) in January-February 2017. We were excited to welcome these students to Jakarta from 5 ACICIS member universities, including the University of Tasmania, Murdoch University, University of the Sunshine Coast, La Trobe University and The University of Adelaide.

We would like to congratulate all students who participated in the Development Studies Professional practicum this year, an exciting experience for students to gain exposure to the development sectors in Indonesia.

The DSPP students undertook two weeks of Indonesian language classes at Atma Jaya Catholic University along with a series of development seminars with speakers chosen specifically to provide the students with an overview of development in Indonesia. The students had the opportunity to see how a community outside of Jakarta has become a model for a more eco-friendly future for the city with the assistance of Urban Poor Consortium.

This was followed by four weeks of a professional placement at a wide range of organisations based in Jakarta, as well as other parts of Indonesia, including Manado, Yogyakarta and Cipanas. Some students also had the option to participate in assignments outside of Jakarta as part of their internships, including to Lombok, Bali, Sulawesi, Bandung and Bogor.

A few highlights of the practicum include Ghulam Gharibi from Murdoch University, who interned at Komisi Nasional Anti Kekerasan terhadap Perempuan had the opportunity to attend the Indonesian Constitutional Court to observe a judicial review of religious identity on national ID cards. Claudia Bailey, The University of Adelaide student, undertook her placement at CARE International Indonesia, and she worked directly with the Warung Anak Sehat team, implementing a nutrition education program in 350 elementary schools to raise awareness of, and to eliminate child malnutrition in Indonesia.

ACICIS hopes all DSPP students have enjoyed their time in Indonesia on our program. All the best for the future and we hope to see you back in Indonesia soon!