Startups, Supply Chains and Social
Innovation in Singapore and Indonesia

The program can run year-round, since Singapore and Java sit close to the equator and temperatures barely move, holding around 27 to 32 degrees Celsius with high humidity. What changes is rain. Java is wettest from December to March, when afternoon downpours are heavy but usually short, and driest from May to September. Company availability matters more than weather for scheduling: avoid the Lunar New Year period in Singapore and the Eid holiday in Indonesia, when offices close and cities empty out.

Business or smart business casual, which is the harder ask in equatorial heat. Lightweight, breathable fabrics matter, and long trousers or skirts with closed shoes are expected in corporate offices in both countries. Jackets are rarely needed and rarely worn indoors, but air conditioning in Singapore offices runs cold enough that a light layer is useful. Modest dress is expected at temples and mosques, with shoulders and knees covered and shoes removed. Students should pack more shirts than they think and expect to change during the day.

Two separate entries. Singapore is visa-free for most short visits by passport holders from the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, though every traveler must submit the SG Arrival Card online within three days before landing. Indonesia requires a visa for most nationalities, obtained either as a visa on arrival at the airport or, more efficiently for a group, as an electronic visa on arrival applied for online in advance. Passports need at least six months validity.

A deliberate spread. In Singapore, startups, incubators and corporates from one of the world's leading startup ecosystems. In Indonesia, a battery and electric vehicle supply chain business, a consumer goods multinational, a homegrown coffee chain, financial services and B2B marketplace startups, an economic research body, a leadership development foundation, a corporate social innovation hub and environmental social enterprises. Individual hosts are curated around the faculty's learning objectives and may vary by cohort.

Return economy flights link Singapore and Jakarta, roughly a two-hour hop, and both are included. Jakarta to Bandung is a high-speed train, which covers a journey that once took three or more hours by road in well under an hour, and return tickets are included. Within cities, the group moves by private air-conditioned coach. Jakarta traffic is the real constraint on the itinerary, so visits are scheduled with realistic buffers rather than optimistic ones.

Exceptionally good, and easy to accommodate. Singapore hawker centres are among the best cheap eating anywhere and cover Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan cooking in one place. Indonesian food is regional and generous, with rice at the centre of most meals. Halal food is standard across Indonesia and widely available in Singapore. Vegetarian options are straightforward in both, though students should flag nut and shellfish allergies before departure, since both appear widely. Drink sealed bottled water in Indonesia; Singapore tap water is safe.

Singapore is close to cashless and cards or contactless payment work almost everywhere, including hawker centres, though a small amount of Singapore dollars is handy. Indonesia is more mixed: cards are fine in malls, hotels and larger restaurants, but small vendors, temple donations and the occasional taxi still want rupiah, and the currency runs in large denominations that take a day to get used to. Tipping is not customary in Singapore, where restaurants already add a service charge, and is appreciated but modest in Indonesia.

Yes. Authentica is a sustainable education provider, and sustainability runs through the design of this program rather than sitting beside it. The program is delivered carbon neutral, with every participant's emissions offset through Authentica's Net Zero partner. The Bandung excursion travels by high-speed rail rather than by road, and the single short flight between the two countries is the practical link across the Java Sea. Sustainability is also part of the academic content here: students meet environmental social enterprises and examine electric vehicle supply chains directly. Authentica avoids single-use plastic on program, works with locally owned guides and suppliers, and is a signatory to the CANIE Accord on climate action in international education.

A dedicated Authentica Program Manager travels with the group for all 12 days, across both countries, and is reachable 24x7 from the orientation and safety briefing to the final airport transfer. The briefing covers heat and hydration, traffic and road crossing in Jakarta, mosquito precautions, food and water safety, and emergency contacts. Transport is by vetted private coach with professional drivers. English-speaking hospitals are identified in advance in Singapore and Jakarta, and Singapore's medical infrastructure is among the best in Asia. Authentica carries USD 5M Commercial General Liability and USD 1M Errors and Omissions insurance, and partner institutions can be added as additional insured.