Despite international travel restrictions imposed during COVID-19, many Indonesians are still looking forward to studying in the UK. Organizations including the British Council play a significant part in facilitating their choices, from offering scholarships to collaborating with prominent universities all over the UK.
However, the British Council's focus extends beyond prospective students. This year, the organization is reconnecting with its extensive UK alumni network in Indonesia. After a four-year hiatus, the British Council is pleased to announce that it resumed its Study UK Alumni Awards to celebrate the outstanding achievements of UK alumni throughout the nation.
Through the awards, the British Council hopes to introduce leaders who have used their experience studying at a UK university to make a meaningful contribution to their respective communities or industries.
Applications were open to Indonesian alumni of UK universities for the Science and Sustainability Award and the Social Action Award categories.
The Science and Sustainability Award recognized distinguished alumni with achievements in science and sustainability-related fields and who have demonstrated the scale of their accomplishments in their industries. Their work areas include climate action, medicine and engineering among others.
This year, the judging panel selected three finalists for this category: Mariella Ardiyanti Haryanto, a food technologist and scientist who made a breakthrough with the first affordable long shelf-life baked pastry in Indonesia; Makhyan Jibril Al Farabi, a member of the East Java COVID-19 task force and leader of its data team; and Ida Bagus Mandhara Brasika, founder and CEO of Griya Luhu, the biggest digital waste bank in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, the Social Action Award acknowledged alumni who have proved their commitment to bringing positive social change and improving the lives of others. The alumni might have specialized in reducing inequality, poverty and hunger, education and upskilling, and peace and justice.
The Social Action Award saw three finalists within this category. These were Zulfikar Basrul Gandong, a veterinarian who advocates for animal welfare by acting as a strategic advisor to NGOs and corporations; Irfan Latifulloh Sarhindi, an Islamic educator and content creator who campaigns for reflective thinking among young Muslims; and Averina Geffanie Suwana, a doctor who established the Indonesia Sehat Foundation, which aims to provide equal healthcare access for children in rural communities.
The awards ceremony was cohosted virtually between the British Council and The Jakarta Post on Feb. 11, 2022. Owen Jenkins, the British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor Leste, attended the online event alongside interim director of the Study UK Campaign, Elizabeth Tresnan, and the British Council Indonesia country director, Hugh Moffat.
Also present were external judges, who included best-selling writer and winner of the Social Awards category in the 2016 Study UK Alumni Awards, Ahmad Fuadi, and Femmy Soemantri, a program manager who has had extensive experience working with the United Nations. Hosting the event was Raras Tulandaru, a UK alumnus from Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University.
“As a country, we take tremendous pride in knowing that we have supported the ambitions and been part of their journeys. Indonesian students hugely enrich the UK’s academic life and add to the vibrancy and diversity of UK cities and towns. On returning to Indonesia, many have made important marks in their chosen fields,” said Jenkins in his opening remarks.
“And looking back at the finalists from previous years, so many of them now work in fields that are shaping the world of tomorrow, from an award-winning novelist to a scientist using their expertise to prevent the spread of infectious diseases,” he continued. “This year’s finalists are joining an impressive list of inspiring alumni.”
The British Council awarded winners of the Study UK Alumni Awards in Indonesia with a Personal Development Grant worth 1,000 pounds (US$1,341, Rp 19 million) to help advance their research or fund programs and activities for their communities. They will also receive a chance to be a candidate for the Global Awards, where they will compete with other outstanding UK alumni from all over the world.
Study UK Alumni Awards 2022 winners:
Meet the minds behind their work
Winner of the Science and Sustainability Awards
University College London (UCL), also a Chevening scholar
Makhyan received his master's degree in Entrepreneurship focused on Healthcare Innovation at University College London (UCL). He is currently part of the East Java COVID-19 task force as the data team leader, which manages around 500,000 patients’ data. Makhyan is also the CEO of Akselerasi Inovasi Negeri, which focuses on building digital innovation, analytics and developing data-driven policies. He is currently treating patients as a medical doctor in the Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Airlangga University, Soetomo General Hospital.
During his time at UCL, he gained an opportunity to connect with senior executives from the National Health Service (NHS), considered one of the world's best healthcare systems. Working with the NHS, Makhyan explained, helped shape his career as a member of the COVID-19 task force.
Furthermore, he greatly appreciated UCL's strong alumni community and its continuing support by inviting Makhyan to establish the Indonesian UCL Alumni Society. Makhyan also added that the UCL School of Management still asked him to mentor and provide feedback to current students.
Makhyan also disclosed that he had plans to use the grant for more research on East Java COVID-19 data and epidemiology, aiming for an international publication in a Scopus-indexed journal so that other countries can also learn from the East Java experience. In the future, Makhyan expects to develop more COVID-19 innovation through collaboration between the British Embassy in Indonesia and the East Java administration.
“I dedicate this award to all who lost their families and loved ones in this pandemic situation, including myself who lost my cousin due to COVID-19 last year,” Makhyan said in his victory speech. “I hope this award can inspire more young leaders to use science to save millions of lives in Indonesia.”
“Lastly, I would like to invite young leaders in Indonesia to continue their studies in the UK. The UK offers knowledge, skillsets and networks that can change your life and unleash Indonesia. Believe me, experiencing UK education can be one of the best parts of your life.” he concluded.
Winner of the Social Action Award
University College London (UCL)
Irfan holds a master’s degree from University College London (UCL) in Philosophy of Education. His areas of interest range from the philosophy of Islamic education, counter-radicalization, consumer behavior in the Muslim market and Islamic identity. Currently, he is a lecturer and the dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Universitas Putra Indonesia in Cianjur, West Java.
Irfan entered the Study UK Alumni Awards to reflect on the year he spent in UCL and how it became a turning point in his life. In an interview with The Jakarta Post, he revealed how he struggled with adapting to life in the UK and how UCL staff and even the Philosophy of Education program leader lent their support.
“After graduation, I remember that UCL helped me in my PhD application in terms of providing a letter of recommendation. For my current application to the University of Oxford, I remember asking the program manager to provide me with a letter of recommendation, and she helped me instantly despite the tight deadline. It was impressive and beyond my expectations. And this is why I thank UCL the most because they were always supportive,” Irfan explained.
Aside from setting his sights on a doctoral degree in the UK again, Irfan is also an educator and ustadz (Islamic teacher). He actively publishes books, produces podcasts on Islamic moderation and organizes short-course programs called Salamul Falah on deradicalization by strengthening critical thinking and contextual Islam. He also appeared on the popular talk show Mata Najwa in October 2018. (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8ZS-8rSVhE&t=314s)
Irfan plans to use the grant he received from the British Council to produce 10 episodes of a video podcast titled “Sambil Nunggu Magrib” for the upcoming month of Ramadan. The aim of the podcast episodes, he explained, is to emulate the contextual interpretation of Islam in the digital sphere, which he has done so far with his previous podcasts.
“I would like to thank my wife, daughter, family, and my team at Podcastren. Thank you for all the people I have collaboratively worked with throughout the years. Thank you for making this incredible journey possible.” Irfan said in his victory speech. “I will use this award as a reminder to keep moving forward, in the hope that I can have a greater and more sustainable impact.
Study UK Alumni Awards 2022 finalists
Science and Sustainability finalist
Glasgow Caledonian University
Mariella studied Food Bioscience at Glasgow Caledonian University. With five years of experience within the food industry, she excels in food processing, new product conception, production and quality control. In 2019, she joined PT Prima Top Boga, where she developed her skills and interest in baking and product development. Mariella made a breakthrough within the same year by creating long shelf-life croissants, which was the first affordable long shelf-life baked pastry in Indonesia.
Science and Sustainability finalist
Imperial College London (ICL)
Mandhara pursued his master's degree in Environmental Technology at Imperial College London (ICL). Mandhara continued pursuing his career as an ecopreneur upon returning to Indonesia to change people's behavior and awareness toward sustainable waste management using digital technology. Mandhara is also the founder and CEO of Griya Luhu, the biggest digital waste bank in Indonesia. .
Social Action finalist
Newcastle University
Averina graduated with a master’s of research in Cardiovascular Science and Disease from Newcastle University. But before finishing her undergraduate studies, she established Yayasan Indonesia Sehat (Indonesia Sehat Foundation), an organization committed to malnutrition prevention. Since 2016, Averina and her team have been organizing projects to provide primary healthcare services, nutrition and proper hygiene education, and acquiring donations for food and basic healthcare necessities for children and their families in rural areas.
Zulfikar Basrul Gandong
Social Action finalist
University of Glasgow
Zulfikar acquired his master's degree in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law at the University of Glasgow. As a veterinarian focusing on animal welfare, he actively speaks in seminars and acts as a strategic advisor to various organizations for animal welfare, a newly developing field in Indonesia. Zulfikar attempts to advocate a curriculum and legislation that focuses more on animal welfare science and animal welfare in disaster management.
