What are you currently working and what is your job title?
I work here the Australian National University (ANU) at the ANU Gender Institute as Institute Administrator.
What did you study at undergraduate level?
Before studying MPP, I have studied Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Human Resource Management. I also have studied Master of Business Administration with a major in Marketing.
What made you decide to apply for Crawford school?
Before coming to Australia, I have worked in two diplomatic missions (Embassy of Japan and Embassy of China), top international organisations like, World Bank, UN-UNICEF and a donor agency Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Therefore, I really wanted to complement my study with my professional experiences. I found MPP program offered by Crawford School as a pathway to link it up. Later on, I received one-year credit from Crawford in recognition to my previous work experiences.
How did you choose your particular further study course (compared to others)?
At the beginning, I was very confused about choosing a particular course. Therefore, I browsed online and read some high profiles of senior public servants who studied Public Policy at the Crawford school. At first, I decided to specialise in Economic Policy, because my previous experience at the Japanese Embassy was in Economic affairs. However, later on, I changed my mind and converted it to a general degree to broaden my future career scope.
Were you weighing up any alternative degrees or career pathways before choosing this qualification?
I was confused about choosing between Public Policy and Diplomacy. At times, I even thought of studying Economics/Management instead of Public Policy. Later on, I found that studying Public Policy at the Crawford school would give me more opportunity to do well in the Public Service job.
What was the process to get accepted into your course? What were the prerequisites?
The Application process was straightforward; everything was in the website. ANU organises ANU Open Day and Post Graduate Information event, which are very helpful to get information on choosing degrees. I attended the open day, and Post Graduate Information Evening and then I applied online and got an acceptance letter from the course coordinator via email. Then I applied for credit and got one year of credit for doing bachelor in cognate discipline.
What does your study involve? Can you describe a typical day at Crawford School?
I studied part-time; I used to come mainly on class days and tutorial days, sometimes on extra days. I spent lots of time in the lab preparing my assignments. There were amazing cohorts in my courses with whom I could discuss and share my thoughts. Crawford is a school of diverse students. Classes were engaging and academics and tutors were supportive.
What characteristics or skills do you hope to gain by completing your course?
Being a Policy graduate of ANU, I aim to work in the policy field and work towards bringing positive changes in the society, particularly in the education sector.
Will this course be beneficial in your career? Where could you or others in your position go from here? Please explain your answer.
I believe this degree will help me working in the Australian Public Service at a high-level managerial position. Students get an opportunity here to interact with diverse students, to understand different policies. I believe if someone has an aim to work in the policy domain or in international affairs, no other place would be better than studying here at Crawford.
What do you love the most about your course?
Studying Public Policy helped me understanding real life problems, formulating a new policy to the higher authority or analysing an existing policy. Students from diverse background share their own stories, which is interesting and thought provoking.
What are the limitations of your course?
I do not see any limitation. Courses were well designed and self-content. Sometimes I just felt that course duration could be longer so that we could have a better understanding of the subject matter.