Five United States Agency for International Development (USAID) scholars shared on Thursday their experiences and the knowledge they acquired abroad with ways for their skills to be applied in Indonesia.

Erly Victoria Kueain, Heri Hermawan, Paulus RT Paramma, Emy Mariana and Erlina Mariana Rosada Sari Siregar were part of USAID’s Prestasi program to extend scholarships to make sustainable impacts.

Erly who holds a Master’s degree in science in agricultural economics from New Mexico State University is interested in developing the startup businesses that are booming in Indonesia.

Her main focus is on the growth of startups in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), where she is currently working at the Kupang Regional Development Planning Agency. “The entrepreneurship spirit within the youths in NTT is still in developing because they require help and guidance from experts. Sometimes they reach a certain stage and fail. Therefore they need to be guided by experts to avoid future failures.

“There are programs in my province that provide training and seminars for youths so that they have the right knowledge to build their own startups. We also encourage them to look for resources they have in the region and improvise with them to fit their desired requirements to build a startup company,” she said.

As for Emy, the process of applying the skills she required onto the system in Indonesia was not always smooth sailing.

Emy, who is currently working at the Sukamara Regency Health Agency in Central Kalimantan as a data administrator for drugs, food, cosmetics and hazardous substances, believes that perseverance is key in order to gain the rewards that could benefit everyone in the country.

“It is difficult. Assimilating the skills I acquired abroad is not easy, but I had to find a perfect fit so that they can be applied to my country.

“I looked for ways to adapt and did not cave in to stress. I know that in the long run, this will not only benefit me but also foster positive outcomes for my country and the citizens,” said Emy, who graduated from Saint Louis University with a Master’s degree in public health.

Erlina, a teacher at SMA Negeri 1 Ingin Jaya in Aceh Besar regency, Aceh, focuses on the ways educators teach in the US, ways that could be adopted by and applied in Indonesia.

“I am trying to make my students love mathematics. It is not just about memorizing, but it is about understanding the concepts to make them love the subject,” she said.

“There are no procedures or rules in the US. The students just understand math easily so that is what I want to apply to my students,” said Erlina, who is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a Master of arts in mathematics education.

When asked if they experienced culture shock, Paulus, a graduate from Eastern Mennonite University with a Master’s degree in conflict transformation, and Heri from Yale University stressed that it did not take them long to adapt to a new situation, besides being away from home.

“I did not experience culture shock because of the similarity that the Papuans and Mennonites share, which is openness. They are very accepting toward newcomers and very friendly,” Paulus said.

Heri, who admitted to being an introvert, said that he was “involved in a lot of discussions on campus”.

“The professor really encouraged me to open up and be more confident in class. Therefore, culture shock was never a problem for me while I was there,” said Heri, who holds a Master’s in forest science.

USAID mission director Erin Elizabeth McKee sees this program as an investment that could benefit Indonesia in the long run.

“The scholars are future leaders, innovators and technical experts. They acquire new skills and studies that they could bring back for the betterment of Indonesia’s future,” she said on Thursday.

Since 2007, scholarships have been provided to more than 309 Indonesians for advanced degrees focusing on land, urban and forestry management, environmental science and health, among others.

The criteria for choosing the scholars are based on their records of academic performance and their professional experience in their fields. Knowledge of the English language is also a must.

“There is also a special consideration for applicants from disadvantage or underrepresented geographic areas in Indonesia because we want to give more opportunities for the locals to apply for higher education,” added McKee.
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The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post.

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