Blogger Indonesia of the Week (29): Agus Setiawan
Expertise and Commitment
Agus Set is a PhD student on Oceanography in Hamburg, Germany. He’s one of those few Indonesian students who are fortunate enough to have the opportunities to further their studies that far.
Indonesia lacks in human resources. Everybody with PhD degree will be considered a pakar or expert. Regardless whether you have a real expertise in that field or not. PhD or S3 (in Bahasa Indonesia) does matter! Outside Jakarta/Java, this kind of phenomenon even more worrying. Hence, many lecturers come in flocks to get a PhD, no matter what!
On universal standard, you’ll get an expert “degree” only if you’re prolific enough in writing scientific papers and published in some international and recognized publications or writing one or more books and regularly write an op-ep piece in newspaper.For Agus Set, this universal standard even not enough! For him, the so-called expert apart from those universal standard requirement, should also have a commitment on the ground. He says,
I just want say that just claimed our selves as experts or relied on publications are not enough, we need more than that: responsibility, action and commitment.
Fair enough and I agree with that.