Experiencing Indonesia

This book examines the many and varied dimensions of the Australian Consortium for ‘In-Country’ Indonesian Studies (ACICIS) and celebrates its 30th anniversary. Charting the institutional history of ACICIS alongside the development, innovation and impact of its programs, this volume captures personal insights from ACICIS alumni as well as staff members and partners from Australia and Indonesia. Contributors bring diverse perspectives and insights to reflect upon and analyse the significance of this program. Pioneering structures that enabled in-country, experiential learning for young Australians in Indonesia; the development of highly innovative programs created in collaboration with Indonesian partners; and the impact of ACICIS on participants, staff and host communities as well as on broader Australia-Indonesia bilateral relations, are all highlighted. This rich and varied account of ACICIS’ context, operations and impact will inform program design for learning abroad programs in Indonesia and beyond. ACICIS’s focus on experiential learning, as this study shows, has transformed lives and relationships and provided a broad benefit, beyond the level of the individual, to universities and communities across Australia, Indonesia and further afield. There are indeed many human faces of ACICIS; this volume presents their voices.