TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Three GREAT scholars discover more beyond studying at historic UK university

Cranfield University stands less than a kilometer from Cranfield Airport in Bedfordshire, England, in the United Kingdom.

Inforial (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Fri, March 25, 2022

Share This Article

Change Size

Three GREAT scholars discover more beyond studying at historic UK university Nikolaus Evan Reinaldo (left), Dimas Aryo Budi (middle) and Rangga Ega Santoso (right) pose in front of a Boeing B737-400 airliner donated to the university by British Airways in 2014. (Photo/Nikolaus Evan Reinaldo)

C

ranfield University stands less than a kilometer from Cranfield Airport in Bedfordshire, England, in the United Kingdom. First established as the College of Aeronautics in 1946, it has since diversified into other areas such as management and manufacturing. Today, Cranfield University presents a wide range of academic disciplines highly relevant in the industrial and commercial world, from water and agrifood to defense and security.

Cranfield University's reputation as a leading institute in technology and management attracts students and researchers worldwide. Dimas Aryo Budi, Nikolaus Evan Reinaldo and Rangga Ega Santoso are Indonesian students who arrived at Cranfield after receiving GREAT scholarships from the British Council.

In an interview with The Jakarta Post, Dimas explained that his company also supported his pursuit of a master's degree as it was relevant to his role in the inspection department.  "I chose to study Maintenance Engineering and Asset Management because it's suitable for my work field. It will be beneficial for me when I get back to my company and need to solve the problems there," he elaborated.

Evan and Rangga, pursuing Aerospace Materials and Advanced Mechanical Engineering, respectively, further explained that the university designed its curriculum to prepare its students for the industrial world. "Our study here is divided into three terms. First, we have lectures in class for the first four months, then a group project and the last three or four months are spent doing our thesis," said Evan, who is doing a project sponsored by a UK-based battery company.

Cranfield University’s remarkable history leaves a lasting impression on Indonesian students Evan, Dimas and Rangga.
Cranfield University’s remarkable history leaves a lasting impression on Indonesian students Evan, Dimas and Rangga. (Photo/Nikolaus Evan Reinaldo)

Dimas added that the group projects not only enabled them to demonstrate the technical skills they have developed in class. They also learn how to manage their teams alongside their research in a business setting.

"Cranfield teaches us not just the in-depth technical details, but the university also allows us to experience what it's like dealing with clients, your working environment and more. So, a lot of Cranfield graduates are professional and well-mannered. So, it's not just the theories that we learn in certain subjects, but also the practice and experience working in a group," Dimas said.

But the group project was challenging for the students, even with the management skills they acquired on campus. They learned to divide their tasks among a diverse group of people with different personalities. The trio also admitted that the language barrier made it difficult for teammates to communicate.

"This is very interesting to me because not only do I get lectures in class, but I also gain exposure to a real working environment in the industry," said Evan. "As a fresh graduate, I find that this is useful for enhancing my communication and presentation skills and helping me learn how to manage people and time, like Mas Dimas said."

Aside from group projects, the students were able to grow their network outside class through online and offline communities. Rangga joined a Facebook group where he could share his projects with other members. “Suppose we want to build a solar panel in a certain area in Indonesia. In that case, we can post it to the group and contact people who have experience in transformers or inverters. Then we can invite them to a discussion on behalf of GREAT scholars," he said.

"It's worth it being a GREAT scholar because we get to meet others from different countries around the world. Because consultation for specific topics can be tricky to do if we just communicate with our colleges in Indonesia," Rangga added.

The interview ended with all three explaining what they would do after graduating from Cranfield. Dimas and Rangga plan on resuming their careers in Indonesia with the skills they upgraded throughout their study. Meanwhile, Evan expressed his desire to remain in the UK and gain further work experience before going home.

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.