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 Chief Executive Officer of IOJI. 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

Summer 2023 Fellows:

Summer 2024 Fellows:

Summer 2025 Fellows:

Ben Jonker

Office Description

About the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative

Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI) is a think tank and policy advocacy group dedicated to promoting sound, sustainable, and equitable ocean governance. IOJI collaborates with a range of stakeholders in Indonesia—a vast ocean nation rich in marine and fisheries resources, as well as vital ecosystem services that support many coastal communities—by influencing policy and advocating for ocean sustainability and justice.

Mission:

Support state institutions of Indonesia in mainstreaming, implementing, and enforcing sustainable and equitable ocean governance
Advocate for sustainable and equitable ocean policies at the local, national, regional, and international levels
Strengthen the network with government, academia, and civil societies to influence decision-making process to attain sound, sustainable, and equitable ocean governance
Empower small-scale fishers, marginalized coastal dependent people, and fisheries worker in defending and striving for their basic human rights
Nurture the leadership skills of IOJI personnel to create meaningful impacts and contributions towards sustainable and equitable ocean governance

Vision: To pursue ocean justice where equitable and sustainable ocean governance prevails to safeguard the oceans for present and future generations

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:

IOJI team members include folks from the Senior Management Team, Program Team, and Operational Team. The Senior Management Team consists of the Chief Executive Officer, currently seated by Dr. Mas Achmad Santosa—an environmental law expert and co-founder of IOJI, Chief Operating Officer (Januar Dwi Putra), Program Director for Maritime Security and Access to Justice (Andreas Aditya Salim), and Program Director for Sustainable and Equitable Ocean Governance (Stephanie Juwana).

The Program Team is coordinated by the Program Directors respectively, led by Program Managers, and supported by Program Officers, while the Operational Team is coordinated by the Chief Operating Officer, and led by Finance Manager, Human Resources and General Affairs (HR & GA) Manager, and Communications Manager, supported by Officers.

In pursuing its vision and mission, IOJI takes the following pathways:

Producing knowledge and providing policy recommendations
Advocating for ecologically sustainable and equitable ocean policies through collaborations with state institutions and international organizations
Ensuring access to justice for ocean dependent people and nature
Working with like-minded academia, trade unions, and civil society organizations to design a coherent ocean policy reform agenda
Utilizing strategic public outreach and media collaboration to raise public awareness to promote principles of strong sustainability and ecological justice

Description of the 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 2026 include:

Law enforcement for mangrove-related cases (which includes a series of training for prosecutors and investigators);
Developing policy frameworks related to safeguarding instruments for carbon pricing;
Improving policies concerning the empowerment of small-scale fishers around transparency and public participation access in Central Java Province and the national level;
Providing regular detection of maritime security threats in Indonesian EEZ and assisting the government with the necessary responses;
Improving policies to provide safe migration corridors for 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 but not limited to seminars and trainings.

Desired Skills

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
Demonstrated enthusiasm for learning foreign cultures and languages, particularly Bahasa Indonesia
Enthusiasm about unpacking complex, multi-dimensional problems

Logistics:

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.
The duration of the internship is 10 weeks, to be conducted between the time period starting June 15, 2026 and ending September 11, 2026 (13-week window). The preferred start date is June 15 or 22, 2026.
The internship will be hosted at the IOJI main office in Jakarta, Indonesia (map link).
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.
Lodging expenses will be covered by the student. Logistical support for lodging options can be provided by IOJI based on previous student experiences.