Kabar Alumni, Dr. Rodney Westerlaken MA, BEd.: Doing Cultural Studies at Udayana University After Serious Consideration

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• Sabtu, 12 Februari 2022
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Dr. Rodney with the Dutch King and Queen in Jakarta in 2020, where he spoke with the King on the results his research.

Dr. Rodney Westerlaken MA, BEd.

Class of 2015

Dissertation: The modification of perception related to submitting children to Child Welfare Institutions in Denpasar City

After a bachelor study in Knowledge and Education Management in the Green Sector at STOAS University of Applied Science, Dutch born Rodney Westerlaken continued his studies at Leiden University, mastering in Indonesian Studies where he wrote a thesis on indigenous rights of ownership concerning cultural heritage in Bali with a case study focusing on four sarcophagi and subsequent grave gifts that were found in Pangkung Paruk, Buleleng.

This thesis was also the first contact with the now-called Fakultas Ilmu Budaya, where Rodney had several meetings with Prof. Dr. I Wayan Ardika M.A. to understand the archaeological context of the findings he was writing his thesis about.

His interest in the former Dutch colony was awakened after a holiday in 2006, just after the second Bali Bom. Rodney was captivated by the beauty, culture and environment of Bali, which led long stays on the island, including volunteer work in a so-called orphanage in 2007.

Link of Rodney’s doctoral promotion at Kajian Budaya: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruQyAYiFHAQ

The experiences while do volunteer work in this orphanage led to actively questioning the system of child care for vulnerable children in Bali and the effect of tourism on this system.

Rodney saw that many children were submitted to orphanages for the sake of following education or with the reason of poverty, heavily supported by unknowing tourists. This led to establishing his own foundation, Westerlaken foundation, which among others focuses on the issue of institutionalisation of children and the socialisation of the current National Standards for Child Welfare Institutions in Indonesia (2011), which clearly states that poverty and access to education should not be a reason for institutionalization, yet empowerment of families should be the answer, so children can stay within a loving family environment.

In 2013 Rodney accepted a lecturer position at Stenden University Bali (now Universitas Triatma Mulya Stenden), lecturing Indonesian and ASEAN culture, sustainability and classes and initiatives focussing on social issues within the Indonesian context. As an incentive, in 2015, Rodney received a scholarship from Stenden University Bali to pursue a Doctorate degree.


The topic of this Doctorate study was immediately clear; to investigate why children are being submitted to orphanages in Bali. There was a colossal gap in the academic knowledge on this topic, and a thorough understanding was needed to be able to change the current system.

After serious consideration Rodney choose to do undertake his Doctorate study at Udayana University and not at the prestigious Leiden University, considering that local knowledge and understanding at academic level of the complex cultural system of Bali was indispensable to write recommendations for change. Prof. Dr. I Wayan Ardika M.A., almost naturally, became Rodney’s promoter.

Rodney’s foundation, as part of the recommendations of his study, now actively helps Child Welfare Institutions to reunify children with their families. Since Rodney finished his studies in 2020 more than 100 children who lived in Child Welfare Institutions have been reunified with their families.

In 2017 Rodney choose for a career move and accepted a lecturer position at NHL Stenden University in The Netherlands, where he currently is employed at the Hotel Management School.

Within his employment Rodney supervises students who are writing their final bachelor thesis, guides students needing extra attention in finishing their bachelor thesis, is chairperson of the second assessment committee and is a member of the Research Group on Sustainability.

Rodney also currently pursues a second Master degree in Environmental Studies, also at Udayana University.

For more information on Rodney’s foundation, see www.westerlakenfoundation.org
For more information on Rodney’s current employment, see https://www.nhlstenden.com/en/hotelmanagementschool

To link with Rodney on LinkedIn, see www.linkedin.com/in/rodneywesterlaken/