USINDO SUMMER STUDIES
An intensive 10-week language & culture studies fellowship held in Yogyakarta and Jakarta, Indonesia for U.S. university students and recent graduates.
250
alumni since
1996
Program Overview
Orientation Days
Beginning with a three-day orientation in Yogyakarta, participants will be introduced to the local committee, their language tutors, and their host families. Participants will attend various sessions designed to enable them to create a richer and more meaningful experience during the program, including Cross-Cultural Understanding sessions and an 'Amazing Race' to familiarize students with key places in Yogyakarta in a fun and interactive way.
Language Classes
The language component of USINDO’s Summer Studies Program is conducted in partnership with the Indonesian Language and Culture Intensive Course (ILCIC), Sanata Dharma University. ILCIC has had extensive experience in conducting Bahasa Indonesia teaching programs for foreign university students and its location in the heart of Yogyakarta allows Summer Studies students to interact directly with Indonesian students and locals in its lively campus atmosphere.
The program typically offers two class levels: beginner and intermediate. However, USINDO also accommodates participants wishing to learn at the advanced level as well.
The classes cover the essentials of Indonesian vocabulary, grammar, and cultural contexts through interactive speaking, reading, writing, and listening exercises.
Students also practice twice a week after regular classes with Indonesian tutors who are students in Yogyakarta. Such tutoring provides the opportunity for both Indonesian and American students to engage at an informal level, ask questions, and develop friendships; many Summer Studies alumni have maintained these bonds long after participating in the program.
Host Family
Students will live with host families throughout their stay in Indonesia. The host family experience is intended to reinforce language studies during the day, and to give students the real experience of living with an Indonesian family.
By welcoming American students into their homes, host families welcome them to their daily routine and often invite them to participate as family members in significant events such as weddings and family outings.
Cultural Workshops
Students are able to get firsthand experience of Indonesian culture through various cultural workshops, including: gamelan (traditional musical ensemble), batik (textile dyeing technique), traditional dancing, and cooking classes focusing on Indonesian cuisine.
Experiential Classroom
The experiential classroom is a new component introduced in the 2023 Summer Studies program. Its aim is to allow candid experiences of direct interaction with Indonesians outside of their classroom setting, while also exploring current issues in the community. Participants will be able to visit organizations that work on a wide range of issues, including environmental management, disability rights, health, religion, politics, and culture. They will be able to discuss and interact with the Indonesian staff and volunteers working at these organizations, and in some cases contribute to a one-day volunteering activity.
Cross-Cultural Reflection
USINDO includes Cross-Cultural Reflection sessions throughout the program, led by an experienced Cross-Cultural Understanding trainer, to allow participants to reflect upon their experiences in Indonesia and to navigate the cultural differences and/or similarities that they have experienced and how they should respond to cultural differences in the Indonesian academic, business, and/or daily life setting.
Field Trips
USINDO organizes a variety of field trips to renowned cultural and historical monuments/sites in Yogyakarta. These trips are designed to allow the students to learn about and experience firsthand Yogyakarta’s unique culture, history, tradition, belief system, and natural wonders. Previous field trips have included the famous Merapi Lava Tour, as well as visits to Indmira organic farming, the historic quarter of Kotagede, Borobudur Temple, Prambanan Temple, Tugu Yogyakarta, Keraton Palace, and a variety of other famous sites in and around Yogyakarta.
Discover Jakarta
Upon completion of the language classes in Yogyakarta, students will participate in a post-program event in Jakarta, held from July 31 - August 2, 2023. This is the culmination of the Summer Studies Program that is designed to broaden the student's perspective, knowledge, and exposure to contemporary issues facing Indonesia, while also giving them the opportunity to network with government officials, experts, academics, NGOs, and the private sector.
Past Summer Studies participants have had the chance to meet with distinguished figures such as Indonesia’s former Minister of Trade, the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia, Indonesia’s Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, as well as heads of various organizations in Indonesia.
USINDO will also organize trips to renowned historical sites within the capital, such as the Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta Cathedral, the Museum of National History, the National Monument, and many more.