The story of Ilham Nugraha, the son of an online taxi driver who managed to study in the United States, is now a trending topic on Indonesian social media timelines. However, before becoming a Cornellian, Ilham was an SBM ITB student and a research assistant who helped develop the ITB SDGs Center. The Marketing and Communications Team of SBM ITB had the opportunity to interview Ilham on Friday (21/1/2022).
Before going viral as an LPDP awardee, Ilham was known for frequently sharing his views and criticism of government policies through Twitter. SBM has equipped him with analytical skills, as seen in his views on policies accompanied by robust reasoning.
Despite the background, Ilham told us that his family, coming from the lower middle class, encouraged him to pursue education. “In the past, my father worked in a hotel as a driver. That’s why, when I was in junior high school, I was torn between going to vocational school so that I could quickly enter the labor market or invest my time in education by entering high school and college. What keeps me motivated are my parents; they support me to pursue higher education as much as I can because not everyone has the same opportunities,” said Ilham.
Growing up in East Bandung, an urban area filled with migrants looking for hope, Ilham sees many problems in the surrounding environment that appropriate policies could have solved. Ilham aspires to be a person who can benefit many people, and one way to realize that dream is through education.
“We can’t blame the circumstances we have. So what can we do? We have to be proactive in looking for many opportunities and also strive so that everyone has access,” said Ilham.
Ilham also shared his experience of studying at SBM ITB and how it equipped him with various skills supporting his studies at Cornell University. One of the lessons and skills from his time at SBM ITB helps him run the G20 Indonesia Presidency 2022.
“Conflict resolution, negotiation, and international business are the three courses that stick with me the most and are useful to date. Currently, I am helping the energy transition working group at the G20. So you have to understand how 20 economies, more than 40 countries, communicate about energy. What do we mostly talk about? Business. Besides, conflict resolution, because each country has its interests, and negotiation because these countries are looking for a middle ground,” said Ilham.
In addition, the habit of using English at SBM ITB reduced the culture shock when he arrived in America. SBM also helped him greatly by providing lecture opportunities and meeting excellent lecturers, allowing good peer relations and networking, and building good class habits.Â
Finally, Ilham conveyed that opportunity would always exist; the important thing is how to seize and take advantage of it. The point is to look for opportunities and take them while they are there. Because once it has flown by, it might not come again.*
