Indonesia – Daniela
Student: Daniela
Course: B Law/B International Studies
Program: GEL Internship in Indonesia T3 2023
What was life like in Indonesia?
I had the unique opportunity to experience living in the bustling city of Jakarta, Indonesia, for a month. Through my travels in Indonesia, I saw new sights such as the tea plantations in Bandung, ate lots of delicious food - including my personal favourite, murtabak - and had so many new experiences, such as memorably touring Central Jakarta on a TransJakarta bus! However, my most valuable experience was meeting so many new people in Indonesia and forming meaningful friendships which I have continued to treasure upon returning home to Australia.
What did your GEL program involve?
My internship was at the human rights NGO Lembaga Studi & Advokasi Masyarakat (ELSAM), which translates as the Institute of Policy Research and Advocacy. ELSAM campaigns for numerous human rights issues relating to technology and the environment. As a research intern at ELSAM, I was able to learn about AI governance, data protection, and digital platform regulation from a human rights perspective. Further, I was able to observe first-hand how ELSAM develop and implement their advocacy campaign strategies and overcome the obstacles confronting human rights activists in Indonesia.
What was the highlight of your internship?
A highlight from my time at ELSAM was getting the opportunity to attend the National AI Workshop on strengthening Indonesia’s ethical commitments in AI governance, which was an event organised by ELSAM and Business Indonesia. This conference allowed me to learn about the progress Indonesia has made in pursing ethical AI governance through the discussions from the expert panellists. Furthermore, I was able to attend numerous networking and professional development events organised by International Internships whilst in Jakarta, where I met with diplomats, directors, and other professionals in the international relations sector to gain incredible insight into their lucrative careers. I also had the privilege of attending a lunch reception at the Australian Embassy to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the New Colombo Plan with other alumni.
Would you recommend the program?
Completing an internship abroad is an enriching experience that I would highly recommend to other students at Deakin. Through this internship, I have had so many new experiences which would not have been possible otherwise, and which I will cherish greatly for how they have allowed me to grow both personally and professionally.