The Public Health Study Tour (PHST) is a two-week intensive program for public health students to gain experience in the public health sector in Indonesia. The PHST returned to in-country delivery in November 2022.
The study tour provides an introduction to the public health challenges currently facing Indonesia, as well as existing government, international and community-led initiatives tasked with meeting these challenges. This is a unique opportunity for Australian students to hear from leading health professionals, policy-makers and community health workers in Indonesia, and to discuss approaches to health issues with Indonesian counterparts.
The two-week intensive tour is made up of a comprehensive seminar series, and a number of field visits to health care facilities, organisations and schools in Indonesia which provide students with the opportunity to see firsthand how the public health system works in Indonesia and to understand the complex challenges it faces.
This tour has been invaluable in providing a cross-cultural experience that has opened my eyes to the realities of public health in Indonesia; we are leaving this tour with a wealth of knowledge, as well as the tools and curiosity to continue exploring public health issues both in Indonesia, and in broader contexts.
– ACICIS Past Participant
Structure
The structure of the two-week study tour is as follows:
- One week of seminars and field trips in Depok/Jakarta, in collaboration with Universitas Indonesia (UI),
- One week of seminars and field trips in Yogyakarta, including one day of concluding discussions and group presentations.
Supervision
ACICIS’ programs in Indonesia operate under the direction of the ACICIS Resident Director. ACICIS’ PHST Tour Coordinator, Ms Bernadetta Handayani, will serve as the primary liaison assisting with the planning of the tour. ACICIS staff will provide comprehensive in-country pastoral support services for students during their time in Indonesia.
In addition, a leading academic in the field of public health with specialised knowledge of Indonesia will be assigned for the duration of the PHST to provide academic supervision of the tour. The PHST Tour Leader (TL) for the pilot tour in 2016 was Professor Michael Dibley. Dr Luh Putu Lila Wulandari (Wulan) was the 2017 and 2018 PHST Tour Leader. The tour leaders in 2019 were Dr Emily Rowe and Dr Ade Prastyani.
