As you read this, Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is sinking.
That’s just one of one of the most startling examples of the consequences of climate change to be seen in the nation comprising over 18,000 islands. Marion Ayer first became interested in Indonesia’s acute need to build climate resiliency when he spent two years there as a Peace Corps volunteer. When he applied to at the Middlebury Institute, where he’s now pursuing a joint master’s degree in international policy development and public administration, he wrote that his career aspirations were to address global challenges, “ideally within the context of Indonesia.”
He made that dream come true even before he graduated.
Many Institute students cap their programs with practicums, putting their skills to work at organizations worldwide. MPA student Marion Ayer found that it pays to be proactive, especially if you’re clear on what you’re looking for.
Marion Ayer MPA/MAIPD ’24 pitched his internship to the organization where he’s now consulting.
“It’s really meaningful to be here in Jakarta working for the International Organization for Migration (IOM),” said Ayer, a Lexington, South Carolina, native. “In a way, this internship is perfectly suited for my career goals.”
To actually be in a position where I am contributing in some way to projects I set out to work on when I started grad school is a wonderful feeling. All the hard work was worth it.
Ayer works for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations–related organization focused on how climate change will affect migration and human mobility. In the next 50 years, flooding in Indonesia is predicted to intensify—combined with other disasters like earthquakes, sea-level rise, and tsunamis.
“It will only get worse and worse, and the government sees that something will have to be done,” Ayer said.
A typical day for Ayer involves moving between various assignments, from developing a briefing to share with government partners about IOM’s climate migration initiatives to contributing to a policy project for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Ayer said he didn’t expect to be invited to contribute to a multiyear project that could influence the migration policies for the entire region of Southeast Asia.
“This is a UN organization meeting with a government partner to collaborate and develop a meaningful path forward,” Ayer said. “It’s really interesting to witness that process of how projects that make really impactful differences get off the ground. It was overwhelming but a great learning experience.”
Only weeks from graduation this May, Ayer reflected on his journey.
“To actually be in a position where I am contributing in some way to projects I set out to work on when I started grad school is a wonderful feeling,” said Ayer. “All the hard work was worth it. I’m hopeful for what comes next.”
| by Nadia Pshonyak
This summer, a cohort of thirteen students from a variety of backgrounds completed their practicums while finishing out their degrees at the Institute.
| by Caitlin Fillmore
Nancy Kwang Johnson MAIPD ’24 shared conflict transformation research and presented findings at the Diplomacy Lab Fair.
| by Jason Warburg
Eighteen students have completed paid internships with UNICEF over the past two years through a Memorandum of Understanding that kicked off in 2019.
