Masters student discovers a global community for sustainable policymaking
Anggi Putri was working as an Environmental Affairs Planner at the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning when she decided to pursue a Master of Environment.
“I wanted to broaden my skillset and learn more about sustainable policymaking,” Ms Putri said.
“Indonesia is an emerging economy and I want to be part of its development journey – postgraduate study felt like a natural next step.”
The Master of Environment at the University of Melbourne offers 12 streams of study for students to choose from, which Ms Putri said stood out from other institutions.
Masters student Anggi Putri
“This flexibility allowed me to shape the course around my career needs. I took subjects related to environmental policy, but you could specialise in climate change, waste management or sustainable cities,” she said.
The Master of Environment is typically completed in two years of full-time study, but Ms Putri was awarded an Australia Awards Scholarship through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) cohort that allowed her to condense the course into just a year.
“As part of the scholarship, I was given the option to arrive in Australia early and take part in the Introductory Academic Program – four weeks of in-depth training on how to conduct research, write academically and think critically,” Ms Putri said.
She said the transition from work to a university environment was challenging, but she soon experienced the excitement of meeting new people and learning new skills.
“The diversity of the cohort was one of the best things about studying at Melbourne. My classmates were from all over the world – I loved learning from everyone’s backgrounds and experiences. It helped me understand things more inclusively.”
Extracurricular activities were also beneficial.
“I joined the Science Case Competition, hosted by the Faculty of Science, which was a fun way to boost problem-solving skills and creative thinking. We had to work in teams to solve a real-world challenge and my group made the finals!” Ms Putri said.
The Master of Environment helps students build specialised knowledge and technical skills in an environmental discipline, and graduate with the confidence to create positive changes in the environment.