Prasidhi Artono - Japan

Prasidhi Artono (Dito)

Well, it was a memorable experience on June-August 2013. I was selected as one of the 30 participants in "Latest Advanced Technology in Automobile Engineering", a program held by Nagoya University in Nagoya, Japan. The program aims to spread new perspective about newest automobile development in Japan to students who have high interest and experience in automobiles area. There were approximately 30 participants which all of those are engineering students coming from top worldwide universities, like Michigan University, National Taiwan University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Southern Illinois, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and so on. They were coming from around the world, such as America, Italy, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and of course Indonesia.

Basically I learned abundant things about automobiles which were well explained by 14 professors from Nagoya University. The materials I learned were kind of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), Product Development of Automobiles, Car Market & Its Future, Fuel Catalysts, Safety Engineering, Energy Saving Vehicles, Automotive Embedded Computing Systems, and so on. Besides learning in classroom, I had opportunities to visit the head factory and research center of Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. In addition, we had so much fun as well in cultural visit to Kyoto, Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, and Kobe. It was amazing to have an opportunity to learn newest technology from Japan, visit tourism spots, and have crazy times with new friends!

Yes, indeed. At first I was just a 'local' person. It means I did not have a courage to go abroad solely. I was just afraid if I could not speak fluent enough to make foreigners understand. However, in my final year of study, I decided to leverage the opportunity to go abroad as a student.

In this program, we were encouraged to make report and give presentation in English after each lecture. Of course, these things would increase my capabilities in speaking English in front of students, professors, and industry experts. Besides, I was just brave enough to speak English to American students although they usually spoke very quick and I just did not get it. Even they became my hangout friends and always asked me for a 'night party'. Hahaha. Anyway, I became more independent, more brave, and had more willingness to continue go abroad to other countries because of this program. It was totally a life changing experience.

Hmmm, a lot. One of the most memorable moments I think when the first time we were going outside Nagoya taking the bus, and we had a crazy time. Very very crazy. We had old songs karaoke time in the bus, and everyone was kinda drunk and crazy. And we learned each nation's language, like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian but in inappropriate meanings (you know, right?). We also played 'pijat-pijatan' and did so many crazy things until the bus driver angry to us.

Well, of course there were difficulties live there. Japan is the most expensive country in the world. The scholarship fund was limited and if I was not clever enough to organize my cash flow for 2 months, I could have been starving. I also have to be an independent person, like cooking myself, washing & ironing clothes, buying raw from supermarket, buying Shinkansen or Subway ticket myself, etc. which I was not used to be in Indonesia. I tend to live simple in Japan to survive.

Japanese students always go to the campus by bicycle or public transportation. The weather is clear each day. There are no noisy motorcycles and polluted air occurred. Everything is so conducive to support their daily activities. For instance, after having lunch in campus, they always put the dishes to the washing dishes and clean up the dining table themselves even there are janitors.  I think we can start from small things, like copy them by simply using bicycle to campus, take care our environment, and respect others more to make Indonesia better place to live.

I think Indonesian students are content to their comfort zone in campus. I saw students in Japan more willing to go abroad and take so many opportunities, although their language limited their desires (Japan's Nihongo is opposed to Latin's Alphabet). I could guarantee that Indonesian students are better in speaking English than Japanese are. What we should do is to leverage many opportunities to see the world, learn from it, and make this country better.