Indonesian Anthropologist Awarded PhD Scholarships at University of Sydney for Research on Food Sustainability and Indigenous Livelihoods

My name is Kevin Abimanyu Jatmiko, and you can call me Kevin. I am a first-year PhD student at the Department of Anthropology, School of Arts and Social Sciences, the University of Sydney, Australia. Back when I was an undergraduate and a master’s student, I studied International Relations. I have been passionate about Development Studies and am currently focusing my research on food and agriculture sustainability in relation to indigenous community livelihood. I decided to continue my studies in a PhD program to deeply study and expand my Development Studies knowledge, especially in the food aspect, and open more opportunities for me to be in academia, as I aspire to work in the academic field.

Scholarship Details

I am a nominee of the University of Sydney International Stipend Scholarship and University of Sydney International Tuition Fee Scholarship from the University of Sydney, Australia. The amount of scholarship granted is:

University of Sydney International Stipend Scholarship = $41,753 (per annum)

University of Sydney International Tuition Fee Scholarship = academic course fees (up to 3.5 years)

I am also a nominee of the Carlyle Greenwell Postgraduate Fieldwork Scholarship from the Department of Anthropology of the University of Sydney to conduct fieldwork for my research.

Educational Background

I studied International Relations in both my Undergraduate and Master’s programs. During my undergraduate in Universitas Gadjah Mada, I got the opportunity to participate in a student exchange program to Nagoya University, Japan, where I found myself interested in Development Studies after attending some courses related to it, such as Environmental Politics and International Development Studies. I continued my Master’s at the Graduate School of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University, and wrote a thesis about sorghum crop development in the dryland area in Eastern Indonesia, as I wanted to develop further knowledge on Development Studies. Now that I am a PhD researcher at the University of Sydney, I want to further extend my research on food from an anthropological perspective, which I believe will be beneficial and fruitful to increase anthropological research on Indonesian food development and indigeneity.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to the University of Sydney?

I began my application for my PhD program by researching the topic I want to research. This is very important since a PhD is all about researching. When I had already decided on the topic, I continued with my research proposal writing. At the same time of writing, I began to search for potential supervisor(s) who will supervise my project. Finding supervisors is another critical aspect for applying PhD program; therefore, we must carefully search for which supervisor who has expertise or research interest in the topic we are proposing for our research. IELTS is also required to apply for this program, and the overall score needed is 7.0 with no band below 6.5. I started my IELTS preparation three months prior to the official test, and I obtained 7.0 for my overall score. In addition, our curriculum vitae, academic transcripts and graduation certificates, a sample of writings (if any), a list of publications (if any), and professional experiences are also important documents to be submitted to complete the application. Once all the documents (including the approval from our supervisor indicated by a letter) are complete, I officially applied to the program through the university application portal.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Scholarship?

In my experience, I was searching, browsing, and looking for scholarship opportunities as many as I could. I also asked my friends who have already been granted scholarships for their advice on obtaining a scholarship. For my current scholarships, I believe that my scholarship application was in line with my PhD program application (there was no separate registration or selection test between applying for the PhD program and the scholarship). In this case, I believe that having a strong and complete document submitted to the committee is important, and the chance of receiving the scholarship will be higher.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

I believe that my experience in doing research, including fieldwork during my Master’s program, was really impactful to my successful application. Having research experience is crucial to apply for a PhD program, as the main job for PhD students is to conduct research on their own. My academic performance in the past education levels, as well as my publication experience, also contribute to my application. Other than those, I would say that the topic of my research shows novelty, which I believe also makes my application stand out.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

If I were going through the process again, I would improve more on my research and publication experiences, as I believe it will further strengthen my application and academic profile. Given that I have published one article at that time, I feel the need for improvement in that aspect.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Always being proactive in finding scholarship opportunities and information about them, build and strengthen your academic and research profile prior to the program and scholarship application, look for relevant academic supervisors, and be open to critiques or insights from others in preparing a research proposal. Not to mention, always have faith and confidence in yourself that you will get the scholarship opportunity. Cheers and good luck!