Geo-Inspiration

These days, we are witnessing various conflicts. Some people protest and take to the streets. Others grumble on social media. Their protests are directed at state organizers who are deemed incompetent. On the other hand, a significant portion of the population fiercely defends these state organizers. These defenders firmly believe and are ready to testify that the very officials being ridiculed by some are, in fact, good people—saviors of their lives.

Continue reading “When A State Becomes Hostile to Its People”

A couple of hundreds young Indonesians were there watching me sharing my stories. They were LPDP scholarship recipients and were ready to depart to start their scientific journey. Some will fly to different countries and some other will study in top-notch universities in Indonesia. It was me sharing with them for their preparation to embark in the new journey of life.

This year marks the tenth year of me serving as a speaker at the LPDP Pre Departure session. A lot have happened but I always feel the same feeling. Every time I walked through the crowd from my seat to the stage, I could not help but feeling hopeful. Hopeful because I could sense their positive energy to start the journey. They way they responded to my presence was just amazing. They made me feel that I was the most important person in the room. They hand clap, the way they looked at me, their smile, their excitement. Everything. This is truly a sign that they are great people. it was certainly not about me. It was about them.

My topic was not so much different compared to the one I delivered previously to different LPDP cohorts. Some repetitive jokes, some same illustrations, same anecdotes, also. No worries, I face different audiences every time I am involved in a pre departure session. They were cooperative. The two hours went so fast. We had fun.

I stressed on the facts that they will study in prominent global universities so they better secure the most out of the program. The study is considered as a golden period where they have all the freedom and privilege to develop their intellectuality. The scholarship period will also be a good time of reflection on our country. In short, I asked them not to take the opportunities for granted.

Lastly, I share my views on how Indonesia will need their expertise and presences in the future. However, I also understand that contributing to Indonesia does not always mean that you have to be physically in Indonesia. When opportunities come and no law being breached, do your best and show the world what Indonesians are made of.

On 14 January 2025, I attended a graduation ceremony at UGM. It was my second degree from UGM after a bachelor of engineering that I earned 24 years ago. This time, I was awarded a professional degree of engineer. Insinyur, in Bahasa Indonesia.

An academia like me might not really find a professional engineer degree that useful. I don’t do much professional engineering projects in my career but still, the degree is an important achievement. Now I can officially a two-letter degree in front of my name “Ir”. I know it is not going to change anything dramatically. I am still the same person that people knew before I earned the degree. Yes, it is an important milestone.

With the new degree, i am sure I can to better. I thank Asti and Lita for being with me along the way. Thanks for your endless supports!

In collaboration with AntaVaya, we had a pleasure in providing a 3-day training on Maritime Boundary Delimitation for Oil and Gas Professionals. We did it in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. For me it was the first experience to share the topic specifically with oil and gas professionals. It was fun and it opens some other opportunities.

I also involved two of my students, Muhammad Iqbal Taftazani and David Cleo Gultom to share their research on maritime boundary delimitation and continental shelf delineation. For them, the event was a good training ground. Glad to see them sharing their knowledge, skills and perspectives.

The participants were from Petronas, Malaysia and they come a long way from Kuala Lumpur to Jogja. Seven people were there in the training workshop and all participated actively. Two of them were lawyers, four geomaticians and one business people. The multi/transdisciplinary interaction among people from different background has enriched the discussion.

For a new type of training, I can safely say that it was a successful event. It seemed to me that the participants started to think about follow up sessions.

Jogja, 4-6 December 2024

One of the outcomes of President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to the People’s Republic of China was the signing of several agreements. According to the Joint Statement between President Prabowo Subianto and President Xi Jinping on November 9, 2024, one of these agreements pertains to maritime cooperation. Point 9 of the Joint Statement states that both countries have reached a “common understanding on joint development in areas of overlapping claims.”

This statement has sparked diverse reactions. The Indonesian academic community, in particular, has raised questions and even expressed opposition to the agreement. In this article, I aim to clarify the issue through a geospatial and legal lens, specifically within the framework of international law of the sea. Please refer to the following articles:

1. Article in English

1. Artikel dalam Bahasa Indonesia

Here are videos showing my views on the issue.

Yes, I received an award from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ibu Retno Marsudi. For me, this is truly special. Receiving recognition from the Foreign Minister was something I never imagined when I first ventured into boundary issues. Time moves quickly. The universe conspires to make things happen with remarkable swiftness. To others, this award might not seem extraordinary, but for me, it’s a different story. For me, for my family, and especially for my parents, this is a story that will color their conversations in coffee shops, at village gatherings, in community meetings, at senior citizen events, and even at lively mass yoga sessions.

Continue reading “Award from the Minister of Foreign Affairs”

I gave a talk at a pre-departure session for LPDP scholarship awardees on 5 September 2024. Around 300 students were there to participate in an online session. As always, having a session with LPDP awardees is always rewarding. I could easily feel their energy.

Even though it was an online session, I could easily feel their enthusiasm. I gave the lecture when I was in Salatiga for another session. At UKSW in Salatiga, I also gave another lecture regarding my experience in pursuing my PhD study. Please read my other post for a more comprehensive understanding about my other lecture.

Back to the LPDP event, the session was about becoming aspiring scholars. They are about to start their study in highly reputable institutions around the Globe. I can imagine, they will grow into great intellectuals. Having understood this, it is essential for them to prepare themselves to contribute in the society where they belong. Hence, helping them prepare themselves to be aspiring scholars in the future, for me, is a privilege.

I had fun discussing with the students, virtually. They had good questions that provoked my views on being aspiring scholars. I wish them best of luck!

I shared my experiences in accomplishing a PhD study with young lecturers of Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana (UKSW) in Salatiga. Around 50 young lecturers were there, enthusiastically listened to my stories. I also gave some tips and tricks in securing scholarships.

The event was fun and with full supports from Madam Rector Intiyas. I just realized that she is the first female rector of UKSW. Such a courageous and brilliant lady with progressive minds. It seems that she is also close to her colleagues, young lecturers at UKSW. She was there all the time during my session to show her full support.

Before the session, Rector Intiyas also took me to a cafe she manages. It was a relatively old house with various kinds of arts. I found a great number of paintings, antiquate collections, statues and some others. It really feels like a combination of classic values, strong tradition and contemporary art. The rector informed me how she has been producing works and policies while siting there at the cafe while enjoying coffee, traditional music, and the aroma of incense sticks.