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Beyond borders: From local roots to global classrooms
Studying abroad opens more than just professional doors, according to those who have experienced it. It also broadens horizons and profoundly influences views and philosophies.
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(Courtesy of Tika Widyaningtyas)
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tudying abroad is often seen as a privilege, accessible only to those who can afford the significant financial investment it demands. However, for many students from humble backgrounds who found opportunities to study internationally, they discovered it to be a doorway to both personal and professional development that would otherwise be unimaginable.
In 2021, data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics show that 59,224 Indonesians went abroad to pursue their studies, a 21 percent rise from 2014. Australia remained the top education destination.
The Jakarta Post spoke to four Indonesian professionals who shared their views on how studying overseas changed their lives forever.
Tika Widyaningtyas
Tika Widyaningtas recalls her grandfather, who believed owning a house and being married to a civil servant was the ultimate goal for his children.
“Going to university was seen as too Western and sophisticated,” said Tika, a 34-year-old senior research manager at a neuromarketing-backed market research agency, Neurosensum.
“But my mother was a rebel. She ran away to Surakarta to study traditional dance at IKIP [the Institute of Teaching and Education].”
