Taufan HIMAWAN

Class of 2022, International Project Management Program(i-PM)

Ministry of Trade Republic of Indonesia – Junior Trade Negotiator
APIMUN (Sociopreneurship) – Founder and Senior Advisor
RITMA Guesthouse Syariah – Co-owner


                                

The Reason Why You Chose GSM

Taufan HIMAWAN

Before entering GSM, I had several working experiences in the private and public sectors, passionately in the logistics field and international trade projects. As the world economy and business development increase, I humbly understand that my management abilities are still far from perfect. With my principle to "Learn the Best Expertise from the Best Expert," I chose GSM for its three essential aspects to upgrade myself:

1) Program curriculums to complete projects with specific goals. GSM has developed lectures and courses that bridge theory and practice to solve the complex issues of the world of management facing currently and in the future.

2) Global wide range of networking. The professors and guest lecturers are the experts in their respected fields, enabling opportunities for future collaboration.

3) Kyoto is the best location for learning sustainability. The city is a perfect place to learn about many well-known sustainable businesses and industries worldwide.

What You Learned at GSM

Even now, I cannot forget the excitement of learning various advanced knowledge and skills of management during my life as an MBA student in GSM. I enjoyed studying new opportunities and solving new challenges through the cases, assignments, and group works. All of them gave me a boosted impact on improving myself. Furthermore, several courses I love the most to formulate a sustainable strategy for business and project developments are:

1) Project Management has enlarged my knowledge to handle a project from multiple perspectives.

2) Strategic Management has provided clear guidance on surviving the fierce global business competition.

3) Advanced Topics in Negotiation has improved my understanding that an effective negotiator must adapt to various types of negotiation.

4) Global Social Entrepreneurship and Leadership Style has encouraged my sociopreneurship projects to aim more for SDGs.

5) Innovative Hospitality Management has enlightened me to the beautiful way and meaning of “Omotenashi.”

The Reason Why You Chose Your Career Plan

Receiving the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) scholarship to study at GSM specifically, I will contribute what I have learned to develop business and projects for my beloved country Indonesia.

Being assigned as a Junior Trade Negotiator, I will be involved in several trade negotiations between Indonesia, ASEAN, and East Asian countries. Especially in cooperation with Japan, it will be through JIEPA (Japan-Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement) and AJCEP (ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership). I am so excited that it will allow me to utilize and dedicate my time, energy, knowledge, and skills to improve trade relationships, business collaboration, and economic cooperation between Indonesia and Japan. Both countries have reached more than 60 years as "strategic partners”, strengthening cooperation in politics, social sectors, education, culture, technology, and economy.

Moreover, what I have learned in GSM will also help me improve the family business and sociopreneurship projects I have been working on.

What Impressed You About GSM

Taufan HIMAWAN

There are so many things that impressed me while I am in GSM, and it goes beyond words to express everything. Mentioning some main points I feel amazing, they would be:

1) GSM learning system has combined academic with business practices most effectively and efficiently. Each course was so well-designed and easy to understand. Not only did the Professors give us interactive lectures, but they also allowed us to practice them in the group or individually so that we could build collective and valuable experiences for our future careers.

2) Classmates with a vastly diverse background. As a person who values and respects worldwide networking. Having a good relationship with international friends with various backgrounds has increased more opportunities for future project collaboration.

3) The unique Workshop system. I am more a practitioner than an academic person. In this regard, I am so glad that the Workshop system allowed us to concentrate on either practical or academic topic for the graduation report. This way has enabled more creativity among students, including myself, to discover what unique management topics or special projects we would focus on. The supervisors also established comprehensive guidelines and consultations for us to achieve the optimum results.

Extracurricular Activities You Have Done

Amidst the pandemic, it was not easy and not many options to do extracurricular activities. Even so, as a social person, I managed to join many wonderful events and communities during my study in Kyoto.

I joined Kyoto University International Entrepreneurship Club (KUIEC) in the first year. In this community, I met great networking and learned beneficial information to explore the world of business and entrepreneurship. Although most were conducted online, the professional committees and guest speakers were so kind to help improving myself. The next activity was to volunteer in various cultural events held by Kyoto International Community House (kokoka). Working together with the same people who love cultures, I was lucky to experience several beautiful Japanese cultures such as Tea Ceremony, Ikebana, watching Noh Performance, and learning how to make a Japanese Zen Garden.

In the second year, I joined Indonesian Student Association (PPI) Kyoto-Shiga branch. This organization helped me enjoy life as an Indonesian student in Kyoto to the fullest. Then, it was also an honor for me to help the professors and students as a Teaching Assistant in several GSM courses. This experience has enriched my knowledge as I could learn more profound about the courses.

Message for Prospective Students

Taufan HIMAWAN

Although there are so many choices for business schools in the world, I will recommend others to choose GSM. And even if I could turn back the time, I would select GSM over and over.

Not only is GSM the place to learn the necessary advanced skills and knowledge for business or project developments, but it is also a community for the professionals who want to expand their networking opportunities and obtain experience for real-life business and project management.

Moreover, GSM is a perfect place for studentpreneurs, business owners, project managers, and professionals from diverse backgrounds to hone the abilities they already had to be more advanced and ready for future challenges. GSM offers various programs that allow students to study not only in Japan but also in other countries through double degree programs, creating endless possibilities and creativity in the world of business and management.

Lastly, living in Kyoto is an unforgettably wonderful experience. We can learn how amazingly this city balances the quality of life, work, and study in harmony with its nature and culture. Therefore, I strongly recommend prospective students to experience a learning environment in GSM in line with a beautiful Japanese proverb called “Ichi-go Ichi-e.”