FORSTER Tanja-Barbara | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

Program: (APS) Indonesian Studies Programme: Uniqueness through Multifaceted Lenses
Instructor: TSUKAMOTO Takashi

Reasons for Participating in the Program

My reason for applying was my wish to learn more about Indonesia as it has been my first time visiting the country. Even though the program was officially listed as a Culture, Society and Media program there have been a lot of visits with relation to Hospitality where I was sure I could learn a lot from. These visits included Pusaka Rasa which preserved national recipes and Ministry of Tourism that is directly related to my major including city planning. In addition, NGOs that also have some relation with my major as most things are interconnected in one way or another. I learned a lot from various perspective that I can easily apply in my future studies.

How the Program Helped You Grow

This field study has helped me gaining in depth knowledge about Indonesia as a host country, their culture, customs and food as well as giving me very valuable insights into Jakarta and many other surrounding areas of the city. It was really interesting talking to NPO staffs that are stationed in all over Indonesia, talking about their success and challenges and how they approach things. It is a very valuable learning for everyone who wants to work in the future in a similar field. This field study has helped me broaden my horizon even further in regards to hospitality, planning and learning out of mistakes.

Message for Students Interested in The Program

Since my major interests is with hospitality and community development my experience is mainly focusing on that. However, always make sure to read the syllabus because even though it might not be your major directly there is still a lot of chances to learn about your specification so don’t be shy to check it out. If you want to learn about great hospitality and food, Indonesia is definitely the place to go to but it also offers so much more. This field study can open many doors for you in the future so make sure to check it out!