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One Historian’s Reflection of Her PhD Journey in Singapore
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National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (Photo Courtesy of NIE NTU, Singapore).
“For me, pursuing a doctoral degree is not only about furthering my credentials. It is driven by a desire to enhance my teaching, deepen my research capabilities, and make a greater impact on society,” shared Dr Indah Wahyu Puji Utami, a graduate of the Doctor of Philosophy programme offered by the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NIE NTU, Singapore).
Growing up in a humble environment, Dr Indah’s parents emphasised education as a means of a better life. “My parents worked tirelessly to ensure that my brothers and I had access to higher education. Their sacrifices instilled in me a deep appreciation for learning and a drive to excel academically,” Dr Indah reflected thoughtfully.
As a history lecturer at the Universitas Negeri Malang (UM), Dr Indah was deeply immersed in teaching and research when she began to recognise the limitations of her master’s degree in fulfilling her aspirations as an educator and researcher. Recalibrating her personal and professional goals, Dr Indah saw the value of a doctoral degree in achieving academic excellence.
Thankfully, UM, like Dr Indah’s parents, also recognises the importance of continuous learning. It supports its lecturers like Dr Indah in pursuing doctoral studies overseas. Leveraging on the trainings and mentorship programmes in the English language and research proposal writing offered by UM to fulfill her academic dreams, Dr Indah also secured the prestigious Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) Scholarship provided by the Indonesian government that generously funded her postgraduate education in Singapore.
But why Singapore, one may ask. While preparing for her research proposal, Dr Indah came across a book titled “Controversial History Education in Asian Contexts” which, according to Dr Indah, provided her with valuable insights, new findings, and ideas in her field. Two of the editors also happened to be faculty members from the Humanities and Social Studies Education department at NIE. “It was then that I knew I wanted to learn from these people at NIE,” quipped Dr Indah with a laugh.
In all seriousness, Dr Indah stated that it was for two main reasons that she chose NIE in Singapore to pursue her PhD: proximity and quality of education. “Singapore’s close proximity to Indonesia made it convenient for me to travel for research purposes and to visit my family back home,” shared Dr Indah. “Additionally, Singapore is renowned for offering world-class education, and NIE’s reputation for academic excellence aligned perfectly with my educational goals.”
