Michele Joie Prawiromaruto - Graduated 2024

Track followed: Earth System Governance (ESG)
Current company/position: United Nations ESCAP/Intern

Can you briefly tell us what you studied (including specialisation) and when you graduated?

I studied a master’s in Sustainable Development with a focus track in Earth System Governance (ESG). I started the programme on 1 September 2022 and graduated on 30 August 2024.

How has your study influenced your career path, and what role has it played in your professional development?

My previous background was in Linguistics and education, and before I came to Utrecht University, I was an English teacher for a few years. There, I realized the transformative role of youth in advancing social and environmental change, which made me want to study the topic further. I wanted to transition into the field of sustainability, but it was quite difficult because of my academic background and how most sustainability majors were very science-heavy and technical. Thankfully, this programme was a perfect midway between the science and social aspects of sustainability. It introduced to me the wide range and breadth of sustainability topics while providing the freedom and opportunity to dig deeper into certain topics that we are individually interested in, which is definitely helpful for me as I wanted to pursue a career in sustainable policies.

Could you provide an example of a specific project or experience during your studies that significantly contributed to your growth and success in your current career?

It was a combination of the Consultancy Project and the 45-ECT master’s thesis that definitely helped me reach where I am today. In the Consultancy Project, my client was TNO and I was able to experience a glimpse of what working in a research organization that provides recommendations to governments and policymakers looks like. Besides that, I really enjoyed the idea of working with different tracks, where we were able to highlight each other’s strengths while also learning from each other. For example, one person would be responsible for supervising the statistical analysis but others would have the opportunity to contribute and learn if they wished to do so. This system ensured a high-quality product for the client but also learning opportunities for the team. As for the master’s thesis, the 9-month time span of the project definitely makes you somewhat of an expert in the topic. Because my thesis was on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), I got this United Nations internship that was organizing a Forum on these SDGs and was able to contribute a lot to the research, analysis, discussion, and reporting of the event.

What were the key skills or knowledge you gained during your studies, and how do you apply them in your work now?

(1) Systems thinking: I learned how to view problems and possible solutions in an interconnected way, looking at how things could impact not just one stakeholder, but also the system as a whole. This trained me to look at the big interconnected picture that is our world today, and I use this skill in any research project that I do.

(2) Policy analysis and recommendations: I gained the tools and strategies to analyse policies, such as by using Impact Assessments, to evaluate whether they are working or not and how to improve them. In my work, I can use this whenever I am writing policy briefs and formulating policy recommendations.

(3) Critical perspectives: Before joining this programme, I truly bought into the narrative that sustainable development is a win-win solution for all—the economy, society and environment. The first week in, I immediately learned this was not the case, and that there are always winners and losers in the power struggle, and that there are so many non-mainstream perspectives that challenge the traditional neoliberal concept of sustainable development and place a critical eye on it. This knowledge is so crucial, as someone from the Global South, so that we can keep challenging the dominant narrative and find our own localized solutions rather than what is simply prescribed to us.

How were you able to differentiate yourself in the job market thanks to your education at our university?

I think the thesis, the Consultancy Project, and the Bright Minds Assistantship (BMA) was a differentiator for the job market. Thesis-wise, because my topic is on the SDGs, I was able to market myself to various sustainability positions, as this has become quite pervasive in businesses, civil society and international organisations. I also did a mixed-method study that combines both quantitative and qualitative methods, and I think this also helped me to stand out better. The Consultancy Project and BMA gave me client-based work experience that is always really beneficial for the job market, especially since I also switched into sustainability very recently. By the time I graduated, I already had around 1.5 years of work experience and I was able to highlight these in my job interviews.

Do you have any specific memories of teachers, courses, or extracurricular activities that left a lasting impression on you?

There are many instances of this for sure. First, I was very thankful and impressed by the amount of in-person or detailed feedbacks that you get from each teacher or professor. This was a common discussion with exchange students or students from other programmes, and the amount of time that professors would set aside to simply give feedback for rough drafts, discuss challenges, and provide tips on how to best solve the issue is truly remarkable. In most assignments, be it big or small, the supervision and feedback feel very personal, which I consider to be one of the strengths of this programme (or track).

Second, I admired the Sustainable Development professors not only for their expertise and knowledge in their particular fields, but even more so for their involvement in activism and social issues. They did not just research sustainability topics from a distant academic standpoint, but they also went down into the field and advocated for things they believe to be right, which is something I will always bring with me.

Third, during my thesis, I was very thankful to have had a group feedback session every other week. The duration of the thesis, in addition to not having classes anymore, can be a really isolating process, so I truly appreciated the time to socialize with peers and know we are all in the same boat while painstakingly putting a lot of time and effort into this project. This one hour every other week kept me sane, encouraged me, and also pushed me to give my very best. After we finished presenting the thesis, Prof. dr. Frank Biermann also bought us drinks, celebrated our accomplishments, and the speech he gave on graduation day made me feel seen and heard. I will definitely cherish these memories forever.

Can you share a moment when you encountered challenges during your studies and how you dealt with them?

The biggest challenge, as a non-EU international student, was to be very frank–housing. This was the most consequential challenge that affected almost every student in the programme, but especially internationals, and this greatly impacted students’ performance in their studies. But anyhow, this is not directly related to the studies itself.

Within my studies, the challenge was dealing with group projects, which means learning to deal with various personalities, work ethics and communication methods. This meant dealing with friction among peers and learning to resolve conflict together so that we can present a great final product. The other challenge is with regards to the subjectivity of how assignments are graded, which is inherent within social sciences. For example, my assignment would be given a really high grade from one professor but a low one from a second reader, making it difficult to objectively assess what areas I did poorly in and how I can improve in the future. You can mitigate this to an extent by learning the preferences and styles of your assessor, but at the end of the day a grade is a grade, you just try your best, and that’s all you can do.

How has your study at our university contributed to your personal growth and development, alongside your professional success?

I think as a young person, it is always tricky to hold onto your morals and ideals in a world that does not reward it, and it does not help that there are so many economic challenges we have to deal with simply to survive. I decided to pursue sustainability because I, like many others, felt the urgency of the crisis and wanted to make the world the better place for future generations. I did not know where to even begin tackling this immensely complex problem, so I decided to study it, only to end up with even more questions than answers. In the midst of all this, what I did find comforting is to see professors and experts who have been working in the field for such a long time to still not lose hope, are deeply involved in their respective communities, and have kept fighting for the cause they truly believe in. On a personal level, this showed me that, no matter how narrow it might be, there are possible paths for us to tread where we do not have to compromise our beliefs and still be able to survive in this economy. There are ways not to sell your soul. I just hope that in the near future, I can proudly say that I stuck through with my principles and have found my own path.

Would you recommend other prospective students to pursue the same course? If yes, why? If not, why not?

For prospective students who are (1) well-versed in sustainability and have a lot of experience with it academically or professionally, (2) non-EU international students who do not have a scholarship, (3) absolutely do not enjoy research, I would not recommend this programme. For those who are (1) coming in from an entirely different field of study, (2) EU students in general or non-EU students with a scholarship, (3) interested in pursuing research or academia, I would highly recommend this programme.

What advice would you like to give to current students?

For the current students, my advice would be to maximize the way the programme is designed to be interdisciplinary and choose a thesis that would best suit your next career path. To complement my social science track, I decided to take several classes where I had to learn quantitative analysis, such as using R, and I found this highly beneficial because you will get a much more comprehensive skillset that you can utilize professionally. This is why I would recommend for ESG and PES track students to take a few science-based or quantitative courses and for E&M and ECE track students to take some social science courses. Because I also wanted to work in international organizations, I also did extra curriculars with public speaking and presentations, such as the honours leadership programme, and global politics, like with Model United Nations. Doing these, in addition to your regular studies, will both challenge you and also help you grow more holistically.

As for the latter, I received lots of advice from people that your thesis will really determine which sector you will get hired in, and to a degree, I found this to be true, as my current position in United Nations ESCAP is directly related to my thesis. I chose the topic of the SDGs because I am aiming to work in the United Nations or other similar international organizations. So even if you do not know precisely the topic you would like to study, I think having a general idea of which topic within sustainability interests you or what career path you would like to take is always helpful when deciding on a thesis topic, especially if you are going to spend 9 months working on it.