Agga Soediono
Why did you choose this course and research topic?
Coming from a strong academic and professional background in communication, as a master student in the Global Studies Program it was my intention to learn on how communication and media as a discipline fits in international relations/political science. My research interest has always been about policy-making and communication and my research topic on public diplomacy really fit into this category. Particularly, I was enthusiastic to learn how communication is applicable in foreign policy and how it affects individuals and the world. The Communication and Media Department turned out to be an excellent institution as the faculty members taught me at a deeper level.
I took "Cosmopolitanism and Communication" course as part of my elective course semester as I felt I was still missing critical theoretical framework for my thesis. Whereas the Global Studies Program taught me about political science concepts such as nation-state order, conflict and securitization, non-state actors and the civil society, and globalization, this course filled in many of the knowledge gaps and at a deeper, philosophical level. At the master’s level, not only was this course challenging in making me think about communication and media using different perspectives, but the material also exhilarated me to research and read further, a thrilling experience which helped me tremendously in fully learning many of the concepts. As a result, the bulk of theoretical framework I used in my thesis came from this learning experience. This course should be compulsory for communication scholars who are interested in not only international relations, but also any other social science disciplines.
What did you find useful about thesis supervision and research?
Knowledgeable, approachable and resourceful--in a nutshell.
Whereas members of the faculty were some of the smartest and most insightful group of individuals I've ever encountered with their most up-to-date research, the faculty itself provided me with resources critical for any research studies. My thesis supervisor was Prof. Annette Hill and not only did she provide great advice to make sure that my research was on the right track and help put many of my ideas into perspectives, but she also pushed the envelope to make sure that my research interest was being pushed above and beyond my expectations. She motivated me by asking critical and sometimes difficult questions, resulting in research findings that were not only of the highest academic standards but also very rich and in-depth with information critical for the research.
Entitled, "Inducing Cosmopolitan Dialogue in the 21st Century: The Role of Web 2.0, Ideals and Practices of the New Public Diplomacy in the Case of the U.S. Mission to Denmark", in the process of my master thesis research I wanted to analyze and write about theoretical framework and practices, policy-making and governance and impacts felt at the individual level and, of course, how civic participation could be maximized at the cosmopolitan level. All of which was based on the U.S. foreign policy that I had the opportunity to work for during my internship. The Communication and Media Department equipped me with excellent resources. I often times sat through the "Communication and Participation" course lectures to listen and get more material for my thesis. I attended and participated the Department's weekly seminars for researchers and professionals to present and share their dissertations and findings. I also engaged and asked other professors, lecturers and doctoral students with similar interests, who were not only helpful in providing advice but also were very approachable.
At the end of the thesis writing process, as an independent researcher I had already sharpened my research skills, developed skills in determining how to best design research methodology based on research questions asked and quintessential writing skills for research and dissertations. This experience enabled me to instill my sense of confidence in conducting social scientific research studies, both at the academic and professional settings. This kind of academic environment is conducive to the learning process that is continuous.
What are you doing now?
Based on my academic background and passion, what I'm pursuing right now is working for diplomacy and development. I strongly believe in putting theory into practice and the U.S. Foreign Service provides that opportunity as they are seeking the most up-to-date academic perspectives that could be turn into pragmatic solutions. Since the diplomatic corps hiring process has been very competitive and arduous, I have also put an alternate plan to get my PhD in international relations/political science, focusing on civic participation, public diplomacy and global cosmopolitanism.
Coming from a strong academic and professional background in communication, as a master student in the Global Studies Program it was my intention to learn on how communication and media as a discipline fits in international relations/political science. My research interest has always been about policy-making and communication and my research topic on public diplomacy really fit into this category. Particularly, I was enthusiastic to learn how communication is applicable in foreign policy and how it affects individuals and the world. The Communication and Media Department turned out to be an excellent institution as the faculty members taught me at a deeper level.
I took "Cosmopolitanism and Communication" course as part of my elective course semester as I felt I was still missing critical theoretical framework for my thesis. Whereas the Global Studies Program taught me about political science concepts such as nation-state order, conflict and securitization, non-state actors and the civil society, and globalization, this course filled in many of the knowledge gaps and at a deeper, philosophical level. At the master’s level, not only was this course challenging in making me think about communication and media using different perspectives, but the material also exhilarated me to research and read further, a thrilling experience which helped me tremendously in fully learning many of the concepts. As a result, the bulk of theoretical framework I used in my thesis came from this learning experience. This course should be compulsory for communication scholars who are interested in not only international relations, but also any other social science disciplines.
What did you find useful about thesis supervision and research?
Knowledgeable, approachable and resourceful--in a nutshell.
Whereas members of the faculty were some of the smartest and most insightful group of individuals I've ever encountered with their most up-to-date research, the faculty itself provided me with resources critical for any research studies. My thesis supervisor was Prof. Annette Hill and not only did she provide great advice to make sure that my research was on the right track and help put many of my ideas into perspectives, but she also pushed the envelope to make sure that my research interest was being pushed above and beyond my expectations. She motivated me by asking critical and sometimes difficult questions, resulting in research findings that were not only of the highest academic standards but also very rich and in-depth with information critical for the research.
Entitled, "Inducing Cosmopolitan Dialogue in the 21st Century: The Role of Web 2.0, Ideals and Practices of the New Public Diplomacy in the Case of the U.S. Mission to Denmark", in the process of my master thesis research I wanted to analyze and write about theoretical framework and practices, policy-making and governance and impacts felt at the individual level and, of course, how civic participation could be maximized at the cosmopolitan level. All of which was based on the U.S. foreign policy that I had the opportunity to work for during my internship. The Communication and Media Department equipped me with excellent resources. I often times sat through the "Communication and Participation" course lectures to listen and get more material for my thesis. I attended and participated the Department's weekly seminars for researchers and professionals to present and share their dissertations and findings. I also engaged and asked other professors, lecturers and doctoral students with similar interests, who were not only helpful in providing advice but also were very approachable.
At the end of the thesis writing process, as an independent researcher I had already sharpened my research skills, developed skills in determining how to best design research methodology based on research questions asked and quintessential writing skills for research and dissertations. This experience enabled me to instill my sense of confidence in conducting social scientific research studies, both at the academic and professional settings. This kind of academic environment is conducive to the learning process that is continuous.
What are you doing now?
Based on my academic background and passion, what I'm pursuing right now is working for diplomacy and development. I strongly believe in putting theory into practice and the U.S. Foreign Service provides that opportunity as they are seeking the most up-to-date academic perspectives that could be turn into pragmatic solutions. Since the diplomatic corps hiring process has been very competitive and arduous, I have also put an alternate plan to get my PhD in international relations/political science, focusing on civic participation, public diplomacy and global cosmopolitanism.