Wiji Astuti

Congratulation! Just now you became Dr.Wiji

       (This email is from my supervisor after getting the result of Professors meeting at IDEC)

Thank you Professor Kusakabe and his lab members. I am proud of being a part of you here.

I am an English teacher from Indonesia. At the first time I became the teacher in Banjarnegara regency, I was dispatched at Kalibening 4 Junior High School for about seven years. This school is located at remote rural area. Whenever I went to school, my friends and I utilized a public transportation called “pick up truck” to come to school or go home. Mostly, this truck was used to load cattle, vegetables, and fruits from farmer’s house to the market or vice versa. However, considered by the society that being a teacher is a prestigious job therefore, when we did not get a seat beside the driver, especially male passengers offered their seat for us and then they moved to the back part of the truck. Sometimes, we just stood on the back, held the iron bar tightly, inhaled the fresh air during the trip, and our body moved to the left and right sides due to the road was hilly and snaky. The weather in this area was cold so most of us wore jacket. When the road was under construction we prefered to change our uniform especially trousers and shoes/slippers to get easiness to walk.

In 2006 my husband and I tried to apply and join the test for Teacher Training Program held by MEXT. Fortunately, my husband passed but I failed. Two years later, in 2008 I applied again and still I failed again. Then in 2009, I applied for Master Program at Graduate School of International Development and Cooperation (IDEC), Hiroshima University and I applied for the Joint Japan World Bank Scholarship Program (JJ/WBSP). Fortunately, I received the scholarship. Two years passed and I graduated in September 2012.
 

Joint Japan World Bank Scholarship Program (JJ/WBSP) graduates

　After that, I returned home for a year. But during this time I also applied for Doctoral course at the same Graduate school under the supervision of Professor Kusakabe Tatsuya in Division of Educational Development. I received scholarship endowment fund for education from Indonesia Ministry of Finance. This scholarship covers my study financial for 4 years as a doctoral student.

During my doctoral course, I had a supervisor, KUSAKABE Tatsuya who has the research on Comparative Study on Religious Education. Therefore, I chose the title of my dissertation “Diversification of Qur’anic schools in Banjarnegara Regency: Comparative Study between Semi-Urban Rural and Remote Rural Settings”. He is really a patient supervisor who guides me well in writing papers and my dissertation. Although he is very busy doing his main job, going abroad, joining conferences or other meetings but he still spends the time for me to discuss about my research progress. At last, I could finish it although I have extended my study period.

Merits of attending academic meetings

1. Being a Ph.D student is a very tough for me because I have to write papers to be publised as one of requirements of graduation. By reading many articles from different journals gave me more valuable knowlegde. I like attending conferences to get feedback from audience regarding my research interest. Before joining it, I feel confidence that the content of my presentation is perfect. Unfortunately, after audience listened on what I presented, then they gave me comments, suggestions, and critics that make me have to do further action to be better in doing the research. I am as a scholar have to write the information as detail as possible so the readers understand it clearly.
2. By participating in some academic meetings (conference, seminar, workshop, and educational forum, etc) make me feel more confidence in making the presentation. Besides that, I also learnt how to do interesting and comprehensive presentation from other presenters. By doing so, I can summarize from different ways of presentation styles by my own best one. Not only practising by myself but also my supervisor trained me patiently in doing the presentation practice.
3. Getting a job.Something interesting point that by articipating in academic meetings it is possible for us to get a job! Take for an example: in a conference there are always break time during luncheon and social gathering at night. In these special events, Professors, Associate Assistant Professor, scholars, researchers, and others attended and shared their experiences. In this important gathering, sometimes a Professor from one Institution is looking for an outstanding scholar. When they know that we are not employed by any institution, we are smart enough and we are eligible to apply for the vacancy. Finally, we can get a job!
4. As a doctoral student, we still lack of knowledge and experiences. Therefore, I suggest all of you to discuss about our research, our research writing progress with other colleagues. Don’t hesitate to ask their suggestions and comments for our better writing and close to perfectness. When we don’t confidence with our own writing style and its content we can go to Writing Research Center provided by Hiroshima University. Why don’t we utilize such facility for out benefits?

As an international student, why don’t we try to get along with the native Japanese? We can learn Japanese language, visiting schools, and sharing our cultures? We will get unforgettable experiences there.

After finishing my study, I would like to implement my skill and knowledge to the young generation especially in my regency where I live now. I am a teacher who only teach the students in the classroom. But there are many young teachers and University graduates who need to be more trained in order to have a better education, however, I can’t assist them. Therefore, I want to work hard by promoting HIRODAI to those people. By introducing how to apply to become a student, how to apply scholarships provided by the Indonesian government or private scholarships provided by HIRODAI/MEXT/JASSO/KUMAHIRA/YAHATTA, etc, how to survive living and studying with/out scholarship, how to get a part time job, etc. I wanna make them to be more trained and educated by more professional lecturers from HIRODAI professors. Fortunately, year by year, more and more students come to Japan and study. They starting new life in a developed country. I hope they will have better education and better life.

Thank you ………..
Wiji Astuti