UNS – Entering the 11th episodes, the ‘Wedangan Keluarga Alumni (IKA)’ Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, was held on Wednesday evening (24/6/2020). Bringing up a theme on ‘UNS Alumni Expatriates, Tips for Successful Career Abroad’, five alumni from various countries were invited as speakers. Lintang Ayuninggar, M.Sc., a faculty member of the FEB UNS acted as a moderator, leading the discussion through Zoom Meeting.
The invited speakers are Wahyu Dewanto, PhD., alumnae of the Faculty of Engineering in Architectural Engineering Program, who currently resides in Australia; Muhammad Toha Rudin, MA., an alumna of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) currently resides in the US; dr. Dewi Sri, Sp. KO., alumnae from the Faculty of Medical Science who currently work in France; Dr. Joemintono, another FKIP alumnae who become a lecturer in Malaysia; and Budi Santoso SE.Ak., MFA, CA, CPA, CF., a FEB UNS alumnae working in Singapore.
On the occasion, the Rector of UNS, Prof. Jamal Wiwoho also present and delivering an appreciation to UNS alumni who work abroad. Prof. Jamal considers that this has become a great achievement for UNS alumni, not only to spread their wings in Indonesia but also in different parts of the world. This obviously will support UNS to always improve its education quality.
Starting the discussion, Wahyu Dewanto, who works as a consultant in architectural engineering, recounts his journey of pursuing a career in Australia. “A country can develop not only from the inside but also from outside,” become one of the mindsets delivered by Wahyu during the event.
According to Wahyu, the development of a country is not only from the internal factor but establishing a career abroad should also be considered as a means to show the existence of Indonesia at the international level. Another message that is delivered is regarding the need to keep the mindset to contribute to the country in different ways. In line with this, Muhammad Toha Rudin, as the second speaker, mentioned that in pursuing a career abroad there are several things that must be instilled by individuals.
“We need the courage to step up and build trust. Indonesians are known for their honesty, commitment, and high motivation, in addition to their high willingness to learn,” Toha explains.
Next in line, dr. Dewi shares her experiences in traveling to several countries. Different from the previous speakers, dr. Dewi mentioned that her career abroad can not be separated from the role of her husband who works from one country to another. Not staying silent, the graduate of FK UNS in 1990 applied for a job in the health sector in the country she was visiting. Before going to France, she recounts her experience in applying for a job in Uganda as a medical staff in an army hospital.
One obstacle that is often experienced by medical graduates working abroad is that their education certificate is not recognized. This is due to differences in conditions and cases that they will handle in a different country. Thus, it requires her to go back to school to earn a working permit in France. Other than the medical field, there are other fields that face similar conditions such as agriculture, law, and psychology. However, outside of these fields, the opportunities are wide open for Indonesian graduates who want to pursue a career in France, such as in informatics, petroleum, or engineering.
“What important is to keep our confidence, have a high tolerance, have a growth mindset, and not racist,” message from dr. Dewi to those who wish to pursue a career abroad.
Another point of view is presented by UNS alumni who currently work in Singapore. Budi Santoso states that what brought him to his current position is the courage to leave his comfort zone, the will to learn specifically, and adaptable.
Lastly, an interesting story was delivered by the alumnus who works as a lecturer in Malaysia. Dr. Joemintono explains that his career started from an article writing in Scopus cited journal. He is an activist who focuses on writing journals, proved with the establishment of Rumah Scopus Turi in Yogyakarta. The activities of Dr. Joemintono is actively developing and providing education to lecturers and students who want to write an article to be published in a journal indexed by Scopus. Humas UNS/Ratri/Dwi
