Background
The physical, psychological and human devastation caused to Aceh by the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004 impacted upon an area that had already suffered the havoc of many years of armed conflict and contestation.
The Aceh Research Training Institute (ARTI) was established in direct response to this devastation. Its focus is upon building research capacity and providing critical skills for a new generation of Acehnese living in a significantly changed society. In particular, research conducted under the ARTI hopes to explore the impact of these societal changes and contribute to current understandings of societal rehabilitation in Aceh and other similarly affected communities.
ARTI is a three-year commitment between four Indonesian and eight Australian universities supported by both the Myer Foundation and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). It is under the direction of Professor Michael Leigh at the University of Melbourne and Professor Bahrein Sugihen at Syiah Kuala University (Unsyiah) in Banda Aceh.
The primary activity of ARTI is an intensification of research capacity building in the form of research training at the Aceh Research Centre (Pusat Latihan Penelitian Ilmu Sosial dan Budaya - PLPISB) of Unsyiah in Banda Aceh. The PLPISB has a long and continuing history as an active research centre. Its recently refurbished building and annex provide seminar, library, office and some accommodation facilities for ARTI.