Pia Alisjahbana, graduated from the English Department Faculty of Letters, University of Indonesia, as a Drs. (equivalent to a MA degree) in 1959.  Starting her career as a lecturer at the English Department, Faculty of Letters, University of Indonesia, and later became the Head of the English Department. She was the founder of the American Studies Graduate Program at UI and she also founded the American Studies Center UI. From 1973 till 1985 she became the Executive Secretary of the Consortium of Letters and Philosophy, Ministry of Education and cultures and gives advice to the Ministry of Culture and Education, with regard to the ten Faculty of Letters all over Indonesia.

She is now the commissary of the FEMINA group which publishes 12 magazines, a.o. Femina, Gadis, Ayahbunda, Fit, Readers’ Digest Indonesia and many more and one radio station. FEMINA was first published in 1972, followed by GADIS in 1973 which was started by her.

Her social activities are a.o.: Trustee of the Foundation of the National Archives Building (before she was the chair of this foundation), Trustee of the Asih Budi Foundation which runs a school for the slow learners that was established by her mother in 1957. She is also the founder of a.o. The American Indonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF), which handles the Fulbright scholarships to graduate students to study in the USA; now she is a trustee; she is a board member of the Jakarta Arts Foundation; board member of the WWF Foundation; trustee of the Nusantara Symphony Orchestra Foundation, trustee of The Sunda Kelapa Educational Foundation; trustee of USINDO (US- Indonesia Society); International Council Member of the Asia Society (based in New York), member of the Literary Music Foundation, a foundation that is mainly concerned with the world of music and  give among others scholarships to children who come from poor families.