Voice

Profile

Graduated from the College of Policy Science, Community and Regional Policy Studies(CRPS) Major, class of 2021

Scholarships Received:
-2017-2019 MEXT Super Global University Scholarship
-2019-2021 Tuition Reduction Scholarship, Saionji Memorial, JASSO Honors Student Scholarship

Graduated High School: Al-Izhar Islamic High School, Jakarta, Indonesia

Hobbies: Reading, watching movies, photography

Tell us about why you chose CRPS in RU?

When I applied to the Community and Regional Policy Studies (CRPS) program in the College of Policy Science, Ritsumeikan University five years ago (I started my application in 2016), I was mainly intrigued by the program's Sustainable Urban Policy Courses. At that time, I thought that studying applicable and effective policies related to urban planning and sustainability could be my way of solving my hometown's (Jakarta, Indonesia) old-age urban planning issues. I was mainly interested in Jakarta's annual flooding issues and the city's lack of functional and exciting urban parks. Those were the topics that I brought up in my admissions essays, alongside my hope that studying in CRPS would further help me understand these issues.

After graduating, I can say that choosing CRPS might be one of the best decisions I have made thus far, not only because I got to learn more about what I wrote in my admissions essay, but because I gained so much more knowledge beyond what I expected. I knew more about myself and what I wanted to do with my life (career-wise) because of my time in Japan and CRPS.

Could you tell us about your graduation thesis?

After reading my previous answer, you might expect my graduation thesis to be related to urban planning and sustainability, but it was not. The four years that I went through in CRPS gave me plenty of chances to learn, unlearn, and relearn about the things and issues around me. Little did I know that the course's interdisciplinary approach led me to my newfound interest in the intersection of technology and public policy, primarily when related to the digital economy and social media. This newfound interest became the 'background' of my graduation thesis.

My graduation thesis explored Jakarta citizens' perception of the local and national government of Indonesia (GoI) 's crisis communication strategy during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. I started this project at almost the same time as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. I noticed that there were (and still are, sadly) a lot of misinformation and hoaxes circulating about the pandemic, especially those happening online (fun fact: they have a word for it: infodemic, which means 'information epidemic') and on the internet platforms commonly accessed by Indonesians. I saw how the infodemic impacted a significant demographic group in Indonesia, leading to confusion, anxiety, and distrust in the government. This concern then fuels my curiosity to find out how the GoI strategizes their crisis communication protocol effectively by finding out what has worked, what has not worked, and what should be done by the government based on the citizens' perspective.

What will you do after you graduate from RU?
What is your career plan and goal/dream in the longer term?

I relocated to Jakarta, Indonesia, in October 2021 and recently went through the job-hunting process. I was interested in policy research and advisory positions in think tanks and research organizations, preferably those related to development economics, technology policy, or issues regarding sustainable and inclusive economics and technology (I know, such a broad and diverse set of interests). Next January 2022, I will be starting my new job as a research associate in a poverty alleviation research center in Jakarta. I am excited about this opportunity and intrigued to see where it will lead me.

Eventually, I want to continue my education to the post-graduate level. I'm dreaming of getting two Master's degrees, one of which would be a Master in Public Policy from top universities in the US, UK, or Southeast Asia. I am not sure yet whether I want to pursue a Ph.D., but I am open to it should the opportunity arise. I dream of working in an international development partner organization such as the World Bank, ADB, Gates Foundation, and similar organizations. I hope to advise and inform policy recommendations to partner governments based on rigorous research and evidence.

Could you tell us about your best memory at Ritsumeikan University?

Aside from the eye-opening classes, conversations, and opportunities that I had with my friends in RU, my best memory would be the travel opportunities I got. Before the pandemic, I had a chance to conduct field research with my friends in Bangkok, Thailand, which was part of the CRPS curriculum. I loved and learned so much from the experience that I signed up as an ES (Educational Supporter) for the class and went back to Bangkok as a project assistant the following year.

I also traveled to other regions in Japan with my classmates, both for class and during our university breaks. I went to Tokushima, Kyoto, Shiga, Kobe, Shirakawa-go, Takayama, Tokyo, and Ehime. These trips were memorable because not only did we get to travel, but we also got to learn deeper about the areas that we visited. For example, during my trip to Ehime, my classmates and I stayed in a rural village where the average citizen was around 60 years old. I remember them being so excited to meet young people, especially non-Japanese ones! That trip was one of my most unforgettable experiences.

Could you give a message in English to prospective students?

"First find out what you are capable of, then decide who you are." Tara Westover, in her memoir, Educated.

That sentence pretty much represents the four years that I spent in CRPS. Being a part of CRPS and living independently in Japan gave me a fantastic opportunity to learn, relearn, and unlearn about the world around me. Before CRPS, I never knew that I could survive speaking pseudo-Japanese in Japan and thrive in a foreign country, and now I always think of Ibaraki as one of the places I proudly call home. The years I spent there also made me know myself better because it made me know deeper what I am interested in, what I am truly capable of, the causes that I care about, and the people I love to spend my time and energy with. The years I spent in Japan truly made me realize the things that I am capable of, the person I wish to be, and the skills that I need to learn and maintain to be the kind of person I want to be. I hope that your experience here will be as memorable as mine, too.

On a less serious note, don't forget to have fun and travel while you're here. Don't forget that you're young; you're in such a beautiful country with a very (very) reliable public transportation system; explore! Remember that the learning process does not always occur in the classrooms; you learn through your adventures, too. You will not regret it.

(PS: The part about learning through adventures and explorations is one thing that I am also telling myself constantly).

Message in Bahasa Indonesia

Menjadi mahasiswa di luar negeri memberikan aku pelajaran dan pengalaman yang sangat berharga. Di dalam prosesnya, aku dipaksa dan mengharuskan diriku untuk keluar dari zona nyaman melalui pengalaman-pengalaman yang canggung, melewati kesalahan demi kesalahan, beradaptasi dan menerima perubahan dengan cepat, dan harus belajar untuk mencari rasa nyaman di tengah ketidaknyamanan. Waktu dilewati mungkin rasanya tidak enak, tapi tidak apa-apa, ini semua adalah usaha kamu untuk belajar menjadi manusia yang lebih baik setiap harinya. Nantinya juga beberapa pengalaman canggung kamu bakal jadi bahan ketawa juga, kok (spoken from experience!)

Oh, dan apabila kamu rindu dengan Indonesia selama kamu berada di sini, tenang saja. Orang-orang Indonesia di sini sangat mengerti perasaan itu dan bersedia untuk membantu kamu, selama kamu memperbolehkan mereka.

Eventually, you'll be okay if you allow yourself to be.

Miranda's student voice in her 4th year

Why did you choose RU, CRPS major?

Did you have any concerns before coming to Japan?

My move to Japan in September 2017 marks the first time I lived outside my hometown and away from my family and friends for an extensive period. Like many other first-time international students, my family and I had so many questions and concerns about living in Japan. One of the things that I was most concerned with was the language because I did not speak a word of Japanese when I arrived in Japan. I was also concerned with managing my time and whether I can live on my own after living with my family all my life.

Luckily, the Ritsumeikan University admissions advisor in Indonesia gave my contact to another Indonesian student, before my move to Japan. He also introduced me to other Indonesian students who became dear friends to me—having people from home helped with adjusting to my new life in Japan. Other than that, living alone has definitely “forced” me to be more disciplined with how to manage my time. It was challenging at first, but over time, it became a new habit for me. Honestly, I am proud of the progress that I have gone through and the changes that I experienced since I live alone in Japan. I learned that living alone in another country gives you a chance to learn more about yourself in a way that I have never experienced before. With time, I realized that if I want to learn and adapt, any challenges became more natural to overcome.

What do you like to do at your spare time?

I have always loved reading and watching movies in my spare time, and that has not changed with my move to Japan. I did discover a new hobby when I moved here, which was photography! Photography tremendously helped me when I was having my first few episodes of homesickness, and it became one of my favorite pastimes. Osaka and Kyoto are lovely, with changing scenery and characteristics each season, so that also influenced me in pursuing photography.

• Miranda writes more about her hobby to overcome homesickness in Student Blog

Outline of your course and studies

When I first started in CRPS, I took many foundation classes in academic English and critical reasoning, which helped me tremendously throughout my studies. Since then, I mostly focus my subjects on topics related to sustainable urban management. With that, I also took classes about micro and macro economy, disaster management, and civil law. However, lately, I am also taking courses that are related to information technology, such as data science and processing with R.

Since my third year, I am also enrolled in a seminar. Each year, CRPS offers four to five seminars led by faculty members from a diverse educational background. There, 3rd and 4th-year students can choose from and learn further about topics that they are interested in. My seminar peers and I focus on the impact of technology on everyday lives and possibilities of technology transfer. In my current research project, I am trying to find out the effect of the overflow of information during the COVID-19 pandemic on the citizen’s perceptions of the government communication process. In pursuing that topic, I had to learn new things such as crisis communication theories and how quickly information spreads on social media platforms. It is still in its earliest stages, but I am excited about the possibility of discovering more about this topic.

What is your career plan after graduate RU?

As cliché as this may sound, I chose to study policy science because I want to create a positive impact on my community, especially in my home country and hometown. To realize that, I want to work as a policy researcher or analyst in think tanks and non-governmental organizations. I am especially interested in the field of sustainable urban issues or issues related to the impact of information on policy communication. I also have plans to continue my studies in graduate school, hopefully in the UK or in the US. However, right now, I am mainly focusing on finishing my degree strongly and seeing where it will take me from there.

What have you presented at the PS Academic Festa?

I had the opportunity to present my research proposal in the 2017 PS Academic Festa. At that time, I was a freshman who wanted to enroll in the field research project in Bangkok, Thailand. I had created a proposal to study the impact of gentrification on a cultural community in Bangkok, so I presented that in the 2017 PS Academic Festa. My professor selected my project as a representative from my batch and worked closely with me as I revised my presentation.

As a freshman, it was my first time presenting in front of a mainly Japanese audience, so I was very nervous. However, I remembered having my friends and peers there supporting me, and they cheered the loudest when I finished presenting. My proposal helped me gain a place in the field research project to Bangkok the following summer. Sadly, I could not pursue my proposal because of several underlying reasons. Still, the opportunity to present my proposal in the PS Academic Festa was memorable enough to remember that proposal by.

• PS Academic Festa

How are the relationship with your supervisor and classmates?

CRPS is an international program, so we have students and faculty members from different ethnicities, countries, and regions around the world. It is fun to make new friends from different cultures, and I especially like it when I get to introduce some of my Indonesian cultures to them. I have had nights where I cooked some Indonesian home-cooked food for my friends, and seeing them enjoying it was special. Not only that, I like how in CRPS, we highly respect differences and diversities amongst us. In my experience thus far, any questions and comments to the differences amongst us were mainly out of curiosity and in no way is trying to belittle a particular ethnicity nor culture. It gives us an excellent opportunity to learn in such a diverse community.

CRPS has small classes, so interacting with faculty members is easy most of the time. They also welcome any question and will try their best to answer them. My seminar peers and supervisors also have a great and professional relationship. I appreciate how we give each other constructive feedback and comments that will help in pursuing our research. My supervisor often pays attention to the details that I have missed during my progress reports. Hence, his comments and feedback tremendously helped me in continuing my research.

Tell us about how you find the accommodation and how your general life in Japan is.

I have never lived in the university dorm because it was not built yet during my enrollment year. The university helped me find my first apartment in Japan, which I stayed in for the first six months since my arrival in Japan. After that, my senior helped me find a new apartment within walking distance from the university. At that time, my Japanese level was not sufficient to go and find apartments without anyone’s help, so the process was quite challenging. Some of my preferred apartments also was not available for non-Japanese tenants, which apparently is common in Japan. Eventually my senior and I found my current apartment which is suitable to my preferences. I guess the stars were aligned because after quite a challenging process, I managed to move into an apartment that I really liked.

Life in Japan is an exciting learning process. Like many other things, I have had tremendous days and challenging ones. Nevertheless, I liked the challenge of that living alone in Japan has brought me up more. It has also given me new friends, some of them so dear to me that I consider them my second family.

Do you do a part-time job or any other activities within RU or outside RU?

I am currently a student library staff on the OIC campus. Previously, I have also worked as an Educational Supporter (ES); it is like a teaching assistant position. Other than that, I am currently a committee member of the Indonesian Student Association in Japan—Osaka-Nara chapter, a position that I have held since November 2019. I am also member of the International Student Ambassador here in Ritsumeikan University.

Message in English/Bahasa Indonesia

Living in Japan as an international student gives you a chance to discover more; more about yourself and more about the world around you. It's an exciting ride, so come and join us!

Jangan takut untuk mencoba belajar di luar negeri. Pelan-pelan dan sedikit demi sedikit keluar dari zona nyaman itu menyenangkan sekali!