ACICIS is very pleased to announce Dr Maharani Hapsari (Rani) as the Academic Program Officer (APO) for the 2021 Virtual Development Studies Professional Practicum (DSPP). Rani was the APO for the 2019 & 2020 in-country DSPP.

Rani is a lecturer at the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). She completed her masters in 2010 and doctorate in 2012 in the field of international development at Nagoya University, Japan. Upon PhD completion, she has been teaching political economy of development, political economy of global environmental change, gender and politics, and human security. For the last eight years, she has conducted research programs on various development issues from the viewpoint of knowledge production, citizenship and social movements. She is currently working on the politics of the commons in the environment-development nexus. See her full profile here.

The DSPP offers students the opportunity to undertake academic studies, including intensive Indonesian language classes and industry seminars, alongside a supervised practicum placement within a local or international organisation that cover a wide range of development sector interests and include monitoring bodies, research institutes, funding bodies, managing contractors, and advocacy groups.

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 virtual program, 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 also plays a key role in curating and delivering the series of industry seminars that students undertake throughout the program.

ACICIS is delighted to welcome Rani as the supervising academic for the Virtual DSPP. Participating students will be very well served by Rani’s experience and expertise in international development, governance and advocacy in Indonesia.