Georgetown Semester in Jakarta
Gain valuable, hands-on experience in addressing the world’s most pressing challenges through a semester abroad at Georgetown School of Foreign Service (SFS) Asia Pacific in Jakarta.
Georgetown SFS Asia Pacific (GSAP) was created to meet the challenges of the Global South and the Asia Pacific. Designed for students in the SFS two-year master’s programs, the Semester in Jakarta is centered on immersive policy courses, offering you the chance to develop actionable solutions for the Global South’s most critical issues.
Overview
Eligibility
Students enrolled in a two-year SFS master’s degree
Duration
Fall or spring semester
Available credits
- Up to12 credits
Contact
Why take a semester abroad in Georgetown SFS Asia Pacific?
A semester immersed in Asia is the best way for you to experience firsthand the dynamism of the region while acquiring the skills and networks to continue an international career.
The Asia Pacific region has long been at the crossroads of history, but in the 21st century, it has taken on renewed importance in the global economy. Asia’s “Ring of Fire” is more than a metaphor: the region is a bubbling cauldron of new policy ideas, alliances, technologies and ways to confront the world’s challenges.
Indonesia, where Georgetown SFS Asia Pacific is located, is the world’s fourth largest country, its third largest democracy, saw the second most rapid reduction in poverty and is one of the top global centers for tropical and marine biodiversity. Yet it is also a country that must deal with inequality, rapid deforestation and other externalities that face other growing middle-income countries. Spending a semester in Indonesia, you will be immersed in a hands-on experience with all the complexities confronting policymakers in the Global South.
Opportunities during the semester in Jakarta
While taking a semester abroad in Georgetown SFS Asia Pacific, you can:
- Join the immersive Policy Labs
- Conduct directed policy research
- Take Jakarta-based courses from the Master in Diplomacy and International Affairs (MDIA) on international relations, political economics and diplomacy
Policy Labs
Work on real policy challenges through GSAP’s thematic Policy Labs. Collaborate with practitioners and partners to develop solutions shaped by the complexities of the Asia Pacific, producing work with relevance and impact that extends well beyond the classroom. Through field-based research, these labs examine how global practices can be adapted to real-life policy contexts in the Asia Pacific.
Benefits of the Policy Labs
- Real-world impact: Contribute to projects influencing policy and practice.
- Collaborative learning: Work alongside a diverse team of experts, policymakers, and peers, gaining different perspectives that enhance your approach to problem-solving.
- Skill development: Build critical skills in building and managing real-world development projects.
- Career preparation: Graduate with a portfolio of applied work and the confidence to lead in international affairs.
Directed policy lab research
Georgetown SFS Asia Pacific also offers a 3-credit directed policy lab research course, which includes directed readings and field research under the guidance of our senior faculty.
This is a unique chance to get hands-on mentoring and on-site support for independent studies such as capstones, dissertations or joining an ongoing research program. Directed reading and fieldwork can, in principle, be done anywhere in the Asia Pacific region.
Note: Admission is contingent upon approval from the proposed supervisor and your home faculty.
Jakarta-based master’s courses
While taking a semester in Jakarta, you will be able to register for classes that are offered to the Master in Diplomacy and International Affairs (Asia Pacific) (MDIA-AP) program in Jakarta, which covers topics in international relations, economic diplomacy and diplomatic skills development.