Holiday At Home: A Life Without Burden

I feel so thankful to God recently for giving me an opportunity to spend my holiday at home. I’ve been longing for this time since a few months ago, especially after I had gone through stressful exams that run out my energy. I really thought I needed time in which I wouldn’t feel any burden and could do anything I want. And now here comes that time.

Spending holiday at home somewhat feels like heaven to me, in a way that the situation here differs greatly from that in Semarang. In Semarang, I felt like trapped by a lot of routine responsibilities. The city life that paces so fast made it even worse. On the other hand, life in my hometown runs in a slower pace, people are much more friendlier, and the air is way fresher.

However, there are 2 main aspects that make my vacation at home feel so fun:the food and opportunity to be close to my family. In terms of food, here I can eat anything, as much, and at anytime I want while in Semarang I have to consider many things like the price, the location of the food stall, and the time (some food stalls are already closed by the time I come back from my campus). As for the latter aspect, I feel that this is my opportunity to devote myself to them after long period of being away from them. So I help them in many things like house chores (sweeping the floor, doing laundry, etc), picking up my sister from her school, and so on. I always felt happy and satisfied every time I could accomplish my task in my role as a member of the family.

I feel so thankful to God for all this blessing, for letting me breathe in a life without burden, for letting me be around persons I love. Alhamdulillah wa syukrulillah.

The Chevening Scholarships 2011/12 – Beasiswa Master di Inggris

The Chevening scholarship scheme is currently being reviewed. A final decision on eligibility requirements, selection criteria, target regions and priority study areas for 2011/2012 is expected by the end of January 2011. However we have decided to start accepting applications from Indonesian candidates for 2011/2012 Chevening scholarships via the
website:https://www.chevening.fco.gov.uk/CheveningApplications/CA_Start.aspx

As in previous years we are likely to offer full scholarships for one year Master degrees at United Kingdom universities and other professional institutions. Thescholarships would cover living costs, tuition fees and return airfares.

Candidates should be aware that Chevening2011/2012is likely to be more closely aligned with delivery of the FCO’s priorities. More information about these is available at:http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/
The Chevening scheme is highly competitive, with only the best applicants invitedfor interview. We particularly encourage applications from individuals based in eastern Indonesia.Candidates will need to meet the following basic requirements:
· Indonesian citizens.
· Excellent first degree with a minimum GPA >=3.0.
· Good level of spoken and written English language (IELTS 6.5).
· Minimum of 2 years full time post-graduate (S1) work experience.
· Clear commitment to long-term career development.
· Must be able to demonstrate leadership potential and the capacity to play
an important role in Indonesia’s future development.
· We regret that we are unable to accept applications for MBAs.
· Previous recipients of a Chevening award are not eligible to apply.
· Employees, employee’s relatives (or former employees who have left
employment within the last two years) of the FCO, including FCO posts, the British Council or any Chevening sponsors are not be eligible for these awards.

Source:https://www.chevening.fco.gov.uk/CheveningApplications/CA_Start.aspx

Adakah Pagar Pembatas Bidang Keilmuan dalam KKN?

KKP dan KKN. Kedua kata tersebut memang hanya berbeda satu huruf karena kedua huruf pertamanya sama. Namun jangan salah. Beda ibu meski sama bapak akan mendapatkan “hasil” yang berbeda pula. Dan memang inilah yang terjadi terhadap kedua kata tersebut. Rasa-rasanya tidak perlu membahas panjang lebar tentang maksud, tujuan, visi, misi, dan hal-hal lain yang menjadi embel-embel semata dari kedua hal ini. Yang menjadi sorotan utama adalah ketika kedua hal ini saling tukar posisi dimana yang tadinya ada menjadi ditiadakan dan yang mati dihidupkan kembali. Walhasil, Jurusan Sastra Inggris angkatan tahun 2008 Reguler I-lah yang menjadi imbas. Mengapa harus angkatan tersebut? Here’s the thing.

Saat saya berkunjung ke rumah seorang kawan yang kebetulan anak Sastra Inggris Reguler II, saya mendapatinya sedang stress berat di depan laptopnya. Setelah sempat mendapat cacian dan amarah yang sebenarnya tidak ditujukan untuk saya, saya tahu suatu hal yang cukup menggelikan. Ya menggelikan. Bagaimana tidak, teman saya marah-marah karena ternyata project KKN yang sebenarnya akan ia ajukan telah didahului oleh anak dari Fakultas Teknik (untuk lebih detailnya saya kurang paham, yang jelas anak teknik). Nah, di sinilah hal yang menggelikan terjadi. Ternyata kelompok KKN dari Fakultas Teknik tersebut mengambil project tentang pengajaran Bahasa Inggris. Wow, perasaan saya mulai bercampur aduk. Marah, geli, bingung, kaget, dan eneg. Semua perasaan tersebut bercampur menjadi sebuah pertanyaan dalam benak saya,“Kok bisa-bisanya mahasiswa yang tidak berada dalam lingkup pengajaran Inggris mengajar Inggris. It’s ok lah kalo mereka pinter Inggris. Tapi untuk apa KKN? Untuk apa mereka mengajar Inggris kalo toh mereka harusnya mahir dalam hal lain? Lalu kemana saja ilmu mereka selama ini?” Saya jadi kasihan dengan teman saya yang harus memutar otak lebih keras mencari project lain yang bisa dia lakukan di KKN. Hal ini berkelanjutan saat saya dan kawan-kawan lain mendapat pembekalan KKP, dimana seorang dosen menjelaskan bahwa baik KKN ataupun KKP merupakan sebuah implementasi atas apa yang kita dapat selama menjadi mahasiswa. Wow, lalu untuk apa mereka mengambil sebuah project yang seharusnya bukan bidang mereka.

Masih di kesempatan yang sama, saya mendapati bahwa tahun depan Jurusan Sastra Inggris Reguler I akan memulai KKN premier mereka setelah sekian lama vakum. Sayangnya dengan dikeluarkan keputusan ini maka akan tereleminasilah KKP yang selama ini mejadi ultimate destination dari jurusan kami. Nah saat mengetahui hal itu saya mulai flash back ke kejadian yang teman saya alami. Apakah tahun depan akan terjadi hal yang sama? Apakah tidak ada sebuah perjanjian khusus atau semacam MoU dalam KKN? Agar mereka yang mengambil project tidak melewati “pagar” yang ada. Atau pagar itu hanya sebuah kamuflase semata?

Entahlah. Saya hanya seorang mahasiswa yang melihat fenomena ini tanpa bisa berbuat banyak. Ini semua adalah sebuah keputusan dari yang di atas (bukan Yang Di Atas). Mereka yang berada di kursi kepemimpinan yang harusnya bisa merangkul semua aspek. Dan kami (mahasiswa) hanya bisa menyuarakan aspirasinya dengan hal-hal kecil. Seperti tulisan ini.

Ditulis oleh seorang teman yang meminta identitasnya tidak disebutkan.

Three Effective Methods of Reviving a ‘Dead’ Organization

Based on personal experience, this is essay was composed to participate in the selection of Young Leaders for Indonesia by McKinsey 2010.

Upon elected the chairperson of the my Student Association through various process ranging from campaign to presidential debate, I asked a question to myself, “How will you activate your student association while it has been ‘dead’ for almost two years and you inherit nearly no basic concept and work system from your predecessors?” In answering such a question, I utilized three methods that I learned both from my past experience and my new innovations: elevation, maintenance, and evaluation.

First of all, the elevation stage ranges from the cabinet appointment to the triggering of motivation and enthusiasm. In the cabinet appointment stage, I appointed some students with outstanding leadership skills to hold vital positions such as secretary, treasurer, and heads of department. Furthermore, I invited them to incorporate ideas over who should be in our team, considering the fact no regeneration process carried out by the previous committee.

Once my team was formed, in the first meeting, I communicated to the newly appointed committee what was currently going on within our organization and that it was our duty to restore it. In this process, I emphasized on the power of motivation as I explained to them, who came from various backgrounds, the advantages of having a solid, active student association, ranging from personal pride to self-improvement.

Secondly, the maintenance phase strongly has to do with the maintenance of team’s motivation and enthusiasm as well as their commitment to our work programs. In this phase, I innovated by creating a solid system both the dignitaries level and the ordinary staff level. In the dignitaries’ level, I invited the focal staff to a weekly meeting to discuss organizational matters ranging from their compliance with their job descriptions to the regeneration process.  In the ordinary staff level, due to the various organization experiences my team have, I fully understood that I could not use the same means to maintain their motivation. I varied my approaches to them ranging from creating a closer personal relation to personalization process.

Thirdly, I always ensured that all departments evaluated themselves in various aspects ranging from the accomplishment of the work programs to the relationship amongst department members. In a larger scale, I initiated monthly meeting in the beginning of every month which basically both evaluated the work programs done in the previous month and better planned the work programs that would be done in the following month.

With three basic methods above, I saw unbelievably amazing performance my committee demonstrated throughout the year. We managed to carry out numerous activities ranging from a cultural festival consisting of seminars, English competitions, musical concert, and cultural exhibition to a multi-event program consisting of cultural discussion, seminar on how to be an excellent campus activist, and interclass meeting, which withdrew exposure from the media both regional and national. With three methods above, my student association now is not only reviving but also even brightly shining with fame and dignity.

Kerikil-Kerikil Tajam di Penulisan Skripsi Kami

Sebagai mahasiswa, pastilah ada semacam impian dari kita untuk bisa menyelesaikan pendidikan tepat waktu. Hal ini tak terkecuali pula bagi mahasiswa jurusan Sastra Inggris terutama mereka yang mengambil Kajian Amerika. Namun hal ini mungkin akan mendapat sedikit kerikil tajam bagi yang mengambil jalur skripsi. Mengapa demikian? Kita sebagai mahasiswa Kajian Amerika secara mayoritas lebih banyak yang mengambil film sebagai objek materi. Hal ini dinilai karena film merupakan objek yang relatif lebih mudah dibanding dengan bilaharus observasi secara langsung. Akan tetapi di jalur inilah kerikil-kerikil tajam itu berserakan.

Pertama, Saat harus memilih film sebagai objek, kita sering “diharuskan” untuk memasukkan unsur eksponensial yang notabene belum pernah kita sentuh sebelumnya. Mungkin untuk beberapa aspek seperti elemen naratif, kita tahu meski hanya sejengkal. Namun saat menginjak wilayah sinematografi kita harus memutar otak, memeras keringat, dan membanting tulang. Selama lebih dari tiga tahun saya bersama jurusan Sastra Inggris, belum pernah saya (dan mungkin teman-teman yang lain juga) masuk teritorial ini. Hal ini semakin diperparah dengan ketidaksesuaian format yang diberikan dari satu dosen dengan dosen lain yang mengampu mata kuliah persiapan skripsi. Ada yang menyatakan bahwa naratif digabung dengan sinematografi tapi ada juga yang menyatakan harus dipisah.

Kedua, setelah tidak tahu menahu tentang standar penulisan, kita dihadapkan dengan kurang adanya standar penilaian dari dosen pembimbing dengan dosen penilai skripsi. Untuk bagian ini, jujur saya tidak mau banyak berargumen karena saya belum mengalaminya. Akan tetapi beberapa teman di jurusan saya mengatakan bahwa beberapa dosen penilai kurang setuju dengan format penulisan yang ada terutama bagian eksponensial.

Ketiga, sempat saya mengobrol dengan beberapa kawan dari kajian Amerika juga yang ternyata juga merasakan apa yang saya rasakan. Kami merasa setelah sekian tahun kami mengambil konsentrasi Kajian Amerika, rasa-rasanya kami sangat dangkal dalam hal metodologi penulisan skripsi dan teori-teorinya. Masih ingat dalan ingatan saya ketika di sebuah kelas seorang dosen bertanya di kelas, “Kalian dapat apa di Theory of Culture?” Sekelas diam semua. “Di Culture Criticism?” Sekali lagi, sekelas diam semua. Kami pun merasakan imbasnya sekarang. Kami harus mencari-cari sendiri cara-cara penulisan skripsi untuk Kajian Amerika dan teori-teori yang digunakan. Untuk itu, sangat bisa dipahami ketika di kelas Pre-Thesis ada segelintir teman yang dengan fasih membahas istilah-istilah seperti poskolonialisme dan false-coonciousness, karena yang segelintir itu kebetulan bacaannya banyak atau mengambil mata kuliah lintas peminatan, sementara sisanya berbekal apa yang mereka pelajari selama bertahun-tahun di Kajian Amerika.

Dari apa yang saya utarakan di atas mungkin elemen yang harus diperbaiki di jurusan kita bukanlah elemen ekstrinsik, naratif, atau sinematografi. Ya, mungkin kita harus bekerja ekstra untuk mereparasi bagian tersebut terutama eksponensial. Akan tetapi ada sebuah elemen lain yang benar-benar harus dikaji ulang; sebuah elemen yang tidak hanya menyentuh permasalahan skripsi saja; elemen yang sering kita lupakan tapi besar manfaatnya. Elemen itu adalah Standarisasi. Standarisasi pengajaran. Standarisasi pembimbingan. Dan standarisasi penilaian. Agar ketika kita berproses mengerjakan skripsi, ada sebuah pegangan yang disepakati bersama, sehingga kita tidak perlu khawatir pegangan yang kita anggap benar disalahkan oleh penguji skripsi.

*Ditulis oleh seorang teman yang meminta identitasnya tidak disebutkan.

StuNed Short Courses Scholarships in Netherlands for Indonesians

StuNed, Studeren in Nederland, is a scholarship programme focusing on mid-career professionals, as part of the bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands. The scholarship programme aims to contribute to the development of Indonesia through strengthening the human resources of Indonesian organizations. Individual applicants may apply for master degree or short courses in the Netherlands, whilst institutions may apply through the StuNed Group Application and/or for refresher courses.

StuNed for Short Courses

Main requirements to apply:

• be an Indonesian national
• have earned a S1 or Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent at a recognized university in Indonesia; be able to provide evidence of the academic achievements (minimum GPA score 2.75)
• relevant work experience for at least two years
• have an academic or professional background that is related to the subject of the course;
• be full time available for the entire period of the study programme or course and be able to participate in and complete all courses
• have a high level of English proficiency, TOEFL 520
• be admitted to one of the courses or programmes offered by Institutes of Higher Education in the Netherlands for the academic year 2010
• no age limit, but priority will be given to the mid-career professional

The StuNed programme is supporting the Dutch policy for development co-operation with Indonesia and aims to contribute to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals in 2015. The framework for the bilateral relations between the Netherlands government with Indonesia is laid down in the Multi-Annual Strategic Plan 2008-2011 (MASP). The overall objective is to strengthen bilateral relations and to support Indonesia in realizing its medium term development goals. The MASP aims to achieve the the following four strategic goals:

1. Improved democracy, stability, human rights and governance, resulting in a just and safe society;
2. Improved economic governance, resulting in sustainable economic growth and an equal distribution of growth through society, in order to decrease poverty more rapidly;
3. Improved environmental and climate policy and implementation, resulting in increased use of renewable energy, sustainable management of natural resources, reducing emissions of greenhouse gas and adaptation to climate change;
4. Intensified bilateral relations through a ‘comprehensive partnership framework’.

The StuNed programme focuses on generating and strengthening institutional capacity in support of the above mentioned strategic goals. Related study fields are: education, rural development, environment, water management and sanitation, trade, good governance and human rights, gender, and culture.

The ideal StuNed candidates is strongly committed to develop human resources in Indonesia; to increase the institutional capacity of the Indonesian partner organizations; to strengthen the bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands, and the effectiveness of the existing cooperation projects.

Eligible study programmes

All short courses with a duration of more than 6 weeks and less then 6 months with a clear relation to the objectives of the StuNed programme.

Deadline:
For courses starting between 1 July – 31 December 2011, the deadline is 1 March 2011
For courses starting between 1 January – 30 June 2012 the deadline is 1 October 2011

Application form can be download here

Beasiswa Program Pertukaran Tokoh Muslim Muda Indonesia Australia 2011

Australia-Indonesia Institute bekerjasama dengan Universitas Paramadina menyelenggarakan program luar biasa, Pertukaran Tokoh Muslim Muda antara Indonesia dan Australia, dimana tokoh/aktivis muslim muda dari Indonesia akan mengunjungi Australia selama 2 minggu dan bertemu baik Muslim maupun non-Muslim untuk bertukar pikiran dan berbagi pengalaman. Sebaliknya tokoh muslim muda Australia juga mengunjungi Indonesia dalam program yang sama.

Program pertukaran ini  ditujukan untuk meningkatkan pemahaman terutama mengenai peran agama di masing-masing negara. Program ini juga ditujukan untuk meningkatkan pemahaman terhadap Islam di kedua negara dan untuk meningkatkan kesadaran mengenai keanekaragaman budaya di Australia maupun Indonesia.

Syarat-syarat pendaftaran:

• Pria dan Wanita berusia di bawah 40 tahun.
• Lancar berkomunikasi serta mampu berpartisipasi aktif di dalam diskusi berbahasa Inggris. Memilki nilai TOEFL di atas 450 diutamakan di atas 500.
• Mengisi formulir pendaftaran yang tersedia di www.paramadina.ac.id atau  www.indonesia.embassy.gov.au serta melampirkan dokumen pendukung.

Formulir dapat didownload di sini [download]

Batas akhir pengiriman lamaran: Senin, 31  Januari 2011 Pukul 16.00 WIB

Lamaran dikirim via post, tidak melalui email kepada:

Panitia Program Pertukaran Tokoh Muslim Muda
Indonesia-Australia
Universitas Paramadina
Jl. Gatot Subroto Kav. 97
Mampang, Jakarta Selatan 12790
Tel: 62 21 7918 1188
Fax: 62 21 799 33 75

Pertanyaan dan informasi lebih lanjut dapat ditujukan melalui email kepada: panitiamep2011@paramadina.ac.id

Beasiswa Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Scholarships (OCISS), University of Oxford, Inggris

The Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies is a Recognized Independent Centre of the University of Oxford. It was established in 1985 to encourage the scholarly study of Islam and the Islamic world. The Centre provides a meeting point for the Western and Islamic worlds of learning. At Oxford it contributes to the multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary study of the Islamic world. Beyond Oxford, its role is strengthened by an international network of academic contacts.

These scholarships have been established by the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies to allow graduates to pursue study of benefit to the Muslim world.

Am I eligible?
Candidates should be applying to start a new graduate course at Oxford.

Please ensure you meet the requirements for entry to your course, including English language requirements.

Open to British Muslim students and students from the following developing countries in Asia and Africa: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Brunei, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Djibouti, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Indonesia, India, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen Arab Republic.

You must be able to show how your intended course of study is of relevance to the Muslim world. UK students must also be Muslims.

What does it cover?
100% of university and college fees, and a grant for living costs (the rate in 2010-11 was £11,700).

Awards are made for the full duration of a student’s fee liability for the agreed course. If your scholarship is offered for a course lasting more than one year, the continuation of your scholarship each year is subject to an annual renewal process based on satisfactory academic progress. Scholars will be expected to write an annual report about their academic and social activities and achievements at the university.

How do I apply?
Apply at the same time as you apply to Oxford by selecting Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Scholarships (OCISS) in the Funding Section of the University’s Graduate Application Form. Candidates should apply by Application Deadline 2 (7 January 2011 for Medical Sciences and Philosophy; 14 January 2011 for Said Business School applicants; 21 January 2011 for all other subjects).

You must also complete a Scholarship Supporting Statement and upload it together with your Graduate Application Form by the application deadline in order for your application to be complete.

If you do not apply in full by the deadline, you will not be considered for the scholarship, even if you have selected Oxford Centre for Islamic Studeis Scholarships (OCISS) on the Graduate Application Form.

How will I know if I have been successful?
Successful candidates will be notified by email by summer 2011 . This webpage will be updated to show when all decisions have been made. If you have not heard from us by the time this notice is posted, then your application to this scheme has been unsuccessful. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to contact unsuccessful applicants individually or provide feedback on applications.

Visit http://www.ox.ac.uk/feesandfunding/prospectivegrad/scholarships/university/ocis/

Beasiswa SIDA program International Training Programme (ITP)

SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency) kembali menawarkan beasiswa bagi mahasiswa dan profesional muda di negara-negara berkembang seperti Indonesia untuk meraih beasiswa melalui program International Training Programmes (ITP) di Swedia atau di beberapa negara berkembang yang telah ditunjuk. Salah satu bidang yang ditawarkan untuk beasiswa pelatihan ini adalah Education for Sustainable Development in Formal Education.

Tujuan utama dari penawaran beasiswa pelatihan ini adalah memberikan kesempatan untuk bertukar pengalaman dan pengetahuan ESD (Education for Sustainable Development/Pendidikan untuk Pembangunan Berkelanjutan) di sektor pendidikan formal. Program tersebut dipersiapkan untuk mengolaborasikan beragam pandangan dan pemahaman yang berbeda serta beragam mengenai ESD, baik dari sisi ekologi, sosio kultural, serta ekonomi.

Adapun program ITP akan dilaksanakan selama 9–12 bulan. Untuk program yang mengambil tempat di Swedia akan dilaksanakan mulai 12-30 September bulan di Stockholm dan Uppsala.

Bagi yang berminat, informasi bisa dilihat di https://itp.sida.se/itp/Programcatalog. Untuk format aplikasi beasiswa bisa diambil di https://itp.sida.se.

Pendaftaran beasiswa program ini akan ditutup 7 Februari 2011.

Iron Jawed Angels: A Depiction of the Fight for the Women Suffrage

United States of America is often described by many as the land of hope and freedom. There, one’s right and liberty and ensured and protected by the Constitution and everyone has the equal right to pursue their dreams in the spirits of American dreams. However, it was not easy for American citizens to gain such rights as they had to go through various bitter challenges to gain them. Moreover, the history of America is full of heroic stories in which its citizens fought bravely for their rights, ranging from abolition of slavery (right to equal treatment and citizenship) to women suffrage (right to vote for women).

In relation to the right to vote, American history has seen gradual changes since the aftermath of the Civil War. The right to vote was granted to African-American men through 15^th Amendment which was ratified in 1870. The once subordinate group then gradually grew stronger, especially in politics. However, there was another subordinate group still suffering from discrimination and could not enjoy the right to vote: women (both white and colored).

For centuries, women had been subject to false belief claiming their inferiority in intellectual ability to men. Such a claim which deeply penetrated to life systems, including that of America, has made it difficult to women to enjoy full rights and to bear responsibilities as citizens. Any attempt to breakdown such a system often resulted in negative consequences such as being labeled as ‘filthy’, breaking moral norms, etc. In fact, the notion that women were inferior to men and thus deserved no right to vote and should stay home to take care of the house and children was prevalent in the American society until the beginning of the 20^th century. Such a situation made it difficult for suffragists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony to fight for the cause of women’s suffrage.

Commenced as early as 1848, the fight for the women’s suffrage underwent a variety of fluctuation. It was not until 1910s that women’s suffrage saw tremendous changes bringing greater impacts for the cause. It was a group of young women led by Alice Paul who fought bravely through various means such as parade, staging picket, and hunger strike for one purpose: amendment to the Constitution enfranchising women.

The struggle of Alice Paul and her partners to fight for women’s suffrage is very well depicted in the movie Iron Jawed Angels. The movie which is based on a true story successfully portrays many aspects of the situation at that time, amongst them are activist determination, split within the National Women’s Suffrage Association (NAWSA), response from society which varied greatly, social norms, and President Woodrow Wilson’s inaction which hindered the way to amend the Constitution. This movie can serve as a very good source to understand the movement of women’s suffrage in 1910s which is one of the most important parts of American history, and analyzing it will provide a plethora of information about that movement.