How Old Are You?

Sunday, 25 January 2009
11.15AM
Murdoch Student Village, Perth

The difference between conversing with an Indonesian and/or South East Asian and an Australian and/or someone of 'Western' origin when talking about my school:

Event #1
Stranger: So you're studying for your Masters degree?
Inaya: No, a PhD.
Stranger: What? How old are you?


Event #2
Stranger: So you're studying for your Masters or PhD?
Inaya: PhD.
Stranger: Oh, so you must be in the academic field.
*Karena tidak lazim orang dari industri 'buang2 waktu' utk S3*

PhD, in my most humble opinion, has nothing to do with intelligence or that it's reserved for the above 40s. It has to do with profession and opportunity. If I had decided to work in the industry, then I wouldn't want to waste my time getting another research degree. For an academic, getting your PhD is comparable to a manager taking a training course on business development, for example. It's a way to excel and develop ourselves for further career progress.

As simple as that.

*Of course there's always passion which was the motivation in the first place, but this is me pragmatically speaking*

The association that professors should be white headed men with glasses and a bow tie is no longer relevant. The more compressed and segmented the work field is nowadays, the more the need for everyone to rethink their profession and stay consistent in it.

Again, in my most humble opinion. So really. No big deal.