EPIC: Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI) – Jakarta, Indonesia

Job Title: Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative Intern

Department/Team: Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI) with support provided by the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions (COS)

Location: The position will be based in Jakarta, Indonesia for the 10-week internship. While in Jakarta, the student intern will be based at the IOJI main office (map link).

Duration: 40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer

Reports to: The direct IOJI supervisor will be the Program Director for Sustainable and Equitable Ocean Justice, Stephanie Juwana, under the guidance of the IOJI Executive Director. Depending on the project, other IOJI staff may serve in a mentorship capacity. Preceding the time in Jakarta, mentorship will be provided by Eric Hartge (COS Research Development Manager) under the guidance of the COS Co-Directors, Fio Micheli and Jim Leape. Depending on the specific applied research, other COS research staff may serve in a mentorship capacity.

Areas of Interest: Fisheries Management, Justice and Equity Considerations in Labor, Natural Resource Economics, Fisheries Supply Chains, Mangrove Ecology, Labor Rights, Food Systems

About the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative

Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI) is an independent think tank and influential policy advocate that supports Indonesia, as the world’s largest archipelagic country, to realize marine governance based on the principles of effective protection, sustainable use, and equitable prosperity. IOJI builds collaboration with state and non-state actors to influence decision-making processes at the national, regional and international levels by providing various policy proposals based on scientific evidence. IOJI also carries out mentoring and empowerment work for communities whose lives depend on the sea, such as small-scale fishermen, coastal communities and migrant workers, in defending and fighting for their basic rights.

Mission: IOJI was formed to ensure the sustainability of the mission and achievement of the objectives of Task Force 115 (Eradication of Illegal Fishing), as well as to carry out other missions in accordance with organizational developments. The Task Force is tasked with developing and implementing law enforcement operations in an effort to eradicate illegal fishing in the Indonesian jurisdictional sea area effectively and efficiently.

Vision: Towards Safe, Sustainable and Equitable Ocean Governance

The Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions (COS) catalyzes research, innovation, and action to improve the health of the oceans for the people who depend on them the most. A part of the Woods Institute for the Environment at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, COS capitalizes on Stanford’s broad expertise in ocean science and in the many other disciplines crucial to developing ocean solutions including engineering, computer science, political science, design, and business. Our core team of researchers and fellows partner with other research institutions, national and international non-governmental organizations, businesses and governments, as well as established and emerging leaders in the data revolution.

In advance of departing for Jakarta, the student intern will meet with COS staff to gain insights into the background of Indonesia’s history in ocean resource management as well as the details of Stanford’s engagements with local partners in the region.

About the Team:

The IOJI team members will include Co-founder and Director of IOJI, Stephanie Juwana. She leads the department for Sustainable and Equitable Ocean Governance and obtained her Master of Laws (LLM in Environmental Law and Policy) Degree from Stanford Law School. In addition, Januar Dwi Putra will be a point of contact for the internship as the Program Director for Maritime Security and Access to Justice.

IOJI works with various partners with the following goals:

• Supporting the Indonesian government in mainstreaming, implementing and enforcing sustainable and equitable ocean governance at local, national, regional and international levels, based on evidence.
• Strengthening the network of government, academics and civil society collaboration at national, regional and international levels to support coalition action to develop sustainable marine life practices, including the achievement of various goals in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Encourage and cooperate with law enforcement agencies at national, regional and global levels in relation to maritime crime and transnational organized crime, including the criminal practices of illegal fishing, human trafficking, modern slavery and others.
• Empowering small-scale fishers, marginalized coastal communities and fisheries workers to defend and fight for their human rights.

Position Description/Scope of Work:

The student intern will conduct direct, applied research and analysis with IOJI researchers and managers. The topic(s) of interest will be co-determined between IOJI staff and the student intern to ensure alignment towards a shared objective. In advance of the internship, COS staff will support the student in the background context regarding ocean resource management in Indonesia as well as the implications of the engagement. While in Jakarta, IOJI staff will supervise and mentor the intern through direct oversight and engagement with relevant partners in the community.

The priority programs for 2025 include: 

1. Law enforcement for mangrove-related cases (which includes a series of training for prosecutors and investigators);
2. Improving policies concerning small-scale fishers around transparency and public participation access in Central Java;
3. Improving the inclusion of fish processors, who are mostly women, in strategic policies;
4. Providing regular detection of maritime security threats in Indonesian EEZ and assisting the government with the necessary responses;
5. Improving policies to protect Indonesian migrant fishers.

List of Potential Activities:

• Desk research, includes a comparative study of practices in other countries;
• Field visits to meet with local communities and the local government;
• Developing English policy briefs, press releases, and other documents for publications;
• Involvement in events held by IOJI, including seminars and trainings.

Desired Skills/Qualifications:

• Detail-oriented work methods
• Familiarity with resource management approaches and relevance of justice and equality considerations
• Experience conducting primary or secondary research and synthesis of findings for policy or management relevance

• Strong communication and technology skills (e.g., Microsoft suite, Google suite); additional preference for data analytics experience (e.g., R, Python, GIS)
• Ability to work independently, while also knowing when to seek guidance from colleagues
• Experience working with communities outside of the U.S.; particularly with island or coastal communities
• Enthusiasm about unpacking complex, multi-dimensional problems 

Logistics:

• The duration of the internship is 10 weeks, to be conducted between the time period starting June 16, 2025 and ending September 12, 2025 (13-week window). The preferred start date is June 16 or 23, 2025.
• The internship will be hosted at the IOJI main office in Jakarta, Indonesia (map link).
• Lodging expenses while remote will be covered by the student. Logistical support for lodging options can be provided by IOJI based on previous student experiences.
• The stipend amount is $8,000-$9,500 for the 10-week internship, depending on level of financial need, to be determined by the Office of Financial Aid. Travel expenses to Jakarta will be covered by the student using stipend funds. Approximate round trip travel expenses from SFO to CGK (Jakarta Airport) are in the range of $800 to $1,500.