Scholarship / A Leader Without Title - Leadership Essay for Chevening [2]

Dear reader,
Thank you for clicking my thread and interested to read my essay for Chevening application.
Please help me to review my essay, your feedback is very welcome :)

Chevening is looking for individuals who will be future leaders or influencers in their home countries. Explain how you meet this requirement, using clear examples of your own leadership and influencing skills to support your answer.

(minimum word count: 100 words, maximum word count: 500 words)

Instead of as a title to hold, leadership for me is more about giving good influence to society that embodied by each individual. If leadership only emanates from a leader, not something that possessed and released by every individual, then this world will lack its positiveness.

One situation, made me lead a small team, not more than five members, to participate in one big international railway project tender. There wasn't an official statement from the office, appointed me to manage the team. My manager only casually chatted me, would I be willing to handle this tender, as I previously had involved in it. I was in London when I accepted this request while my manager and the rest of the employees is in Indonesia. My packed schedule in London wasn't an excuse to refute my responsibility for handling the tender. The first act I did was setting the milestone to accomplish the task successfully and on schedule. To communicate and discuss the goals I created, with the teams in Indonesia, every day I woke up around 2 AM due to 6 hours difference, so my team could start the day knowing what we should aim during the moment.

During this tender preparation, I positioned myself not as a commander, but more as a representative of the team. That's why, upon returning to Indonesia, my task shifted from managing the team, to liaise with external parties such as cooperate with upper-level management regarding important decisions and actively communicate with partners in Bangladesh related to bidding strategy. The preparation went well, all of the documents needed were ready, even though we were challenged with tight duration and short of help.

I recognize that I wouldn't be able to manage the team well if I hadn't led before. During University student, I was selected as Indonesia delegate to ASEAN-Korea Future Oriented Youth Exchange selected directly by the Ministry of Youth and Sport. The program aimed to connect future leaders of ASEAN-Korea and to strengthen the partnership and cultural aspect of participating countries. Seven months later, I also successfully applied to become the participants of 26th International Youth Forum in South Korea to discuss the renewal of SDG into 25 points, along with youth from more than 30 countries. After the forum was finished, we held such as online advertisement to influence and increase awareness of people about Sustainable Development Goals.

If we are only waiting for a certain position to make changes, then it will take forever to alter the world. Because basically, leadership is a bottom-up situation, not the opposite. A mother doesn't need to be "Head of Household" to lead, just by her influence. We can't control the position we have in society, but we can expand the influence we have in whatever position we hold. But I believe, obtaining Chevening award will get me engaged with future leaders and escalate my leadership capability even more.

Scholarship / Surviving Awkward Networking Experience - A Chevening Essay [3]

Dear Reader,
Thnak you for opening my thread. Here's my essay demonstrating my networking capabilities for Chevening application. Please review and give feedbacks for me, thankss! :)

Chevening is looking for individuals with strong professional relationship-building skills, who will engage with the Chevening community and influence and lead others in their chosen profession. Please explain how you build and maintain relationships in a professional capacity, using clear examples of how you currently do this, and outline how you hope to use these skills in the future. (minimum word count: 100 words; maximum word count: 500 words)

the prestigious meeting

Nothing can be more dreadful than when I was informed by my boss that I should attend meetings on behalf of him because he had another important schedule. It was no ordinary meeting because I was going to meet several official authorities from the British Government. The notification I received from my boss four hours before my departure to London for an academic paper conference.

The meeting was held in London, there I would meet officials from the Department of International Trade (DiT), UK Export Finance (UKef), and Bank XXX to discuss business opportunities in the railway sector. Apart from preparing the discussion material, I was also studying the business and responsibilities of DiT and UKef, their mission, and also their project in other countries. During the meeting, I positioned myself as an active listener and sharing partner to the officials despite positions and age differences between us. Because I believe that networking is more about listening and maintaining the relationship later

The meeting went well, both with DiT and UKef. They are interested to expand the market for UK based company including Indonesia. Due to my position on a job right now as a sales engineer, I understand that not many UK Based products are used for the Railway Sector in Indonesia, due to the limited information from both sides. So, on the last day of stay in the UK, I met few potential partners from UK to get us know each other business, accompanied by a representative from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of UK. To maintain the opening chapter of collaboration between UK and Indonesia, I actively write follow up emails to them.

Experience taught me, the best way to engage with someone is to listen to their needs first. Upon finishing my agenda in the UK and back to Indonesia, I arranged follow up meeting with authorities from British Embassy Jakarta. There, we discussed the follow-up actions that we are able to execute in Indonesia. We consider few projects further, but the nearest one is not on my company's scope. Therefore, I was connecting people from British Embassy to a company who usually doing this work. Beside of that, we also examine the opportunity to collaborate in XXX which also becomes the main subject of collaboration between Local Government and UKef.

Apart from that, I also actively involved in XXX a join collaboration among companies of Indonesia, consists of XXX, XXX and XXXcompany with aim to offer complete turnkey solutions for railway moreover to third world country. Through the collaboration, I am grateful that I have the chance to meet and discussed with significant figures from other countries. Such as when I lead the welcoming event of Uganda delegation, which the 2nd Deputy Prime Minister also appears, as an mc and tour guide to accompany them to visit one of my company's project.

Writing Feedback / IELTS Writing Task 2, effect of social networking sites [3]

destructive to the younger generation?

Many people believe that social networking sites (such as Facebook) have had a huge negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree?

Social networking sites, for example Facebook, are considered by many people have had a destructive impact to the younger generation such as children and teenager, adult and also influence people in society. Even though, I believe that consuming too much social media will bring psychological damage to the human behavior, but for limited interaction, Facebook and other social networking sites will increase relationship between individual.

Before social networking sites made available, it was hard to communicate if the range between individuals span too long. Social networking sites make the communication more effective and faster to connect between locations. Not only for communication media, social networking such as Facebook and Instagram can also be the new source of income as the sites enable people to sell and buy things. This new trend brings out also new occupation such as media influencer.

However, accessing too much social media will bring effect to the brain's ability to perform. Performance of attention will be lowered as human is interested into notification, they will check their gadget immediately as soon as the ping ringing. Apart of that, from my own view, focusing ability of individual will also decrease when they keep turning their attention whenever the notification alert.

On another side, due to high consumption on social media, people sometime neglecting other presents when gathering. They are more focus to interact using social media, than keep the conversation alive through direct conversation and discussion.

In my personal view, I think that social networking sites bring more harm than good to individuals and society. Approaching the idea through brain function, spending too many hours on social networking sites, will lower the attention span of individuals. Many direct social interactions will also be depleted if people decided to connect more through online platform.

Letters / Motivation Letter for Stipendium Hungaricum, Vehicle Master Degree [2]

MOTIVATION LETTER STIPENDIUM HUNGARICUM SCHOLARSHIP

(MASTER DEGREE)
(max. 4000 characters)
Really appreciate to hear your thoughts and comment to improve my writing! thanks

According to research by Arup, in 2050, around 75% of the world's population will live in cities. Transport infrastructure will therefore need to build with resilience in mind to tackle the concentrated urban sprawl. Increased road congestion, and focus on the environment and energy consumption make railways a strong alternative to road transport for the movement of people and goods. The Government of Indonesia also follows such initiative. Data released by the Indonesian Ministry of National Development (BAPPENAS) stated there are at least three LRTs that will become priorities to construct in the next few years. Despite huge demand, Indonesia still faces challenges in developing its railway transportation. One of them is the shortage of skills. As a state-owned enterprise and the only company specializes in Electronic & Mechanical system for railway, I see my current company is also facing a shortage in railway specialist. There are not many experts capable of handling the rapid development of railway, such as on advance rail vehicles and intelligent transportation. Nation's need to fill key positions in railway industry, and advancing its technology solidified my interest to join the development.

My first enthusiasm to pursue transportation sparked when I did bachelor's thesis on the field of railway. I researched timetable optimization, applying model predictive control methods on the actual rail shuttle in the airport. The study aimed to analyse how significant the control methods when applied to recover the timetable from delay. I successfully delivered the research with a satisfactory result and even presented it at Railway Engineering conference in Edinburgh.

I continue my interest in the transportation industry by working within it. In one of my projects, I require to lead a team to bid on integration of public transportation ticketing system in Jakarta. It leads me to familiarize the transportation system worldwide, including Hungary. I see many similarities between Indonesia and Hungary in managing their transportation system. Among the European countries, Hungary and the other Eastern European countries, still improving its transportation system. Through several initiatives such as SMARTPOLIS, the Budapest Centre of Excellence for Smart Cities, Indonesia can learn and gain an understanding the process to upgrade the transportation system.

I aspire to study in Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) because of its unique approach on addressing the engineering problem in transportation, with economic aspects and innovative solution. Apart from that, studying at BME will give me chances to participate in an international project like MaaS4EU and collaborate with other European countries. Joining MaaS4Eu research study under Dr. XX will enhance my knowledge on seamless mobility and integrated public transportation. This research has similar nature with my project in Indonesia and will bring advantageous knowledge to be implemented upon my return to Indonesia.

Even though in vehicle technology the knowledge mainly follow on the same source, such as IEEE, but there must be local rules that needs to obey. The necessity to adapt on local engineering rules may require me to adjust to the situation. Despite this, I will try to overcome it by doing internships in the company such as BKK or Knorr-Bremse and participate in local projects.

At the beginning of my return, I want to apply my knowledge by nurturing the competencies of other employees in my current company and increasing the capability of other railway industry worker. It is important to spread the expertise and increase the amount of competent staff. Returning to my current company will also facilitate me to be involved in the central government infrastructure plan. It would be an honor to receive Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship, as it would expedite my goal to contribute on railway development in my country.

Scholarship / Applying the knowledge and experience essay. Sustainable Transportation SISGP [4]

Describe how you can apply the knowledge and experience gained from your time in Sweden in your organisation/company and/or in your home country/region upon your return from Sweden.

[Maximum 1000 characters incl. spaces]

Sustainable Transportation

In the future, sustainable transport will rely on railway as its backbone and the solution for climate change. As a core of societal activities and driver for economic development, sustainable transport systemically connects with many SDG points, but interlinked mainly with SDG number 11. ElectriCity in Gotheborg and SL system in Stockholm enlightened me that Sweden is the right place to study sustainable transportation. As someone who experience working adjacent with the government for national railway planning, I am dedicated to become a proficent engineering leader that further implement sustainable technology into railway project in Indonesia. It will be the key to solve congested urban traffic and pollution issue as I aspire this public transportation project will be able to mobilize more than two million passengers per day. The master's degree in Sweden will give me the skills and sustainable perspective that I need to lead urban transportation project.