Next Stop: Jakarta - Salamah Agung

What are your fondest memories of studying in Utrecht?

The first thing that jumps to mind is the city itself and its people. I remember them being very friendly. I wear a hijab and saw many others wearing one, too. It did not feel at all like I was alone in that. Secondly, I loved the Minnaert Building. For those who don’t know, it’s home to the Faculty of Sciences. It is a brick red building with unique, sustainable architecture. There are hardly any windows on the outside, but the central hall looks out onto a large pond that collects rainwater and is used as a cooling device for the building, at least in my time. I found it a great place to be on my own where I could find some peace and quiet to do my PhD research. 

What does the Alumni Network Indonesia mean to you?

I help the Utrecht alumni unit to gather Indonesian alumni and keep their connection with the university alive. To me the network stands for being part of Utrecht University. The university holds a special place in the heart of alumni around the world and I am proud of being a Utrecht alumnus. I want others to feel the same or even better than I did at Utrecht University. In addition, I want Indonesia to recognise that Utrecht alumni are great, that they can make a significant contribution to Indonesia. 

I hope to change the mindset of the students at my faculty and encourage them to consider other perspectives and broaden their minds.

You are an alumni officer yourself, what do you want to offer your alumni?

Although I was trained to do research in chemistry, I discovered my real passion in dealing with young students because I believe they will achieve great things in the next five to twenty years. The most important time to think big is when you are studying. In a young person’s life there are some moments that never come back. I run a programme to help prepare students well for future opportunities. I hope to change the mindset of the students at my faculty and encourage them to consider other perspectives and broaden their minds. Although, sadly, I get the impression that this generation is quite different from mine. Sometimes, I feel they lack a real purpose. But then, I cannot force them into anything.

What aspects of living in Jakarta do you like most?

Without a doubt, the dynamic life in a big city: the fast pace of information, the fact that information is easy to get, the fact that you have to keep moving. In Jakarta, moving is growing. When you pause, you get lost behind. More mundanely, I enjoy the temperature here. It never gets colder than about twenty degrees Celsius. 

What does your average day look like?

I live close to the campus. It’s only a fifteen- to twenty-minute walk, although I have to admit I never walk. I usually go by car or motorcycle, which takes only five to ten minutes. At my office in the Department of Education we work from half past seven to four and till half past four on Fridays. Often, my colleagues and I have lunch together at the big round table in my lecture room. We regularly organize a potluck lunch, especially when it’s somebody’s birthday. As a manager, I spend a lot of time dealing with my staff rather than students. I spend about ten percent of my time teaching subjects such as research methodology, micro teaching and curriculum development. Lately I've been thinking whether I should do parttime research as many of my colleagues do.