Today is a second week of my internship activities at The Habibie Center. I don't know why I suddenly agree on what THC Manager of Admnistrative and General Affairs tried to convince me in my last interview, that a month will be definitely too short for me to intern at THC. Yeah, to some extents I finally feel that a month is literally too short :)
So far, I do enjoy the work atmosphere in THC, Im really blessed to be closely involved in such leading Think Tank of Indonesia؛ It again and again enriches my very premature thought, knowledge and insight؛ It really opens my eyes on a very great vision and dedication of Pak Habibie toward Indonesia؛ It also provides me with many intellectual/academic fora and it even allows me to meet with Pak Habibie! Yes, I know that I should also admit that THC has really played a very smart and significant role in each democratization, modernization, and development of Indonesia.
Honestly speaking, my main objective to intern here is to closely learn and observe how's actuallly the real atmosphere, ideology, and daily operational of non-bureaucracy field of work, so I hope that this newest experience will complete my previous internship experiences at MFA and Indonesian Embassy in Cairo, and hence at the end, I do hope that it will finally give me an objective consideration on what field of work I should commit to choose later in the future.
Eventhough Im now academically and formally majored in Sharia and Law, but I basically always tend to pursue to be more majored in International Politics and Diplomacy, as well as interested to choose these two majors as my concern, rather than Sharia and Law. Which in this case, I assess that THC's internship activities would be so relevant to those pursued majors and certainly would also provide me with valuable sources of those keen interests of mine.
Beside previous objective, I have also spesifically drew my other objective, which is to learn all things about ASEAN, since my existence in the Middle East somewhat made me away from this 'Sokoguru' of Indonesian Foreign Policy because I was mostly swamped with Middle Eastern Politics and Indonesian-Egyptian Bilateral Ties.
Meanwhile, you know that the understanding of ASEAN is basically so much crucial for a comprehensive understanding of Indonesian Foreign Policy and its stances toward the constelation of International Politics in general.
Pertaining on this objective, I do consider THC since it is actually the only Indonesian Think Tank performing it's high commitment to be the center of excellence on ASEAN related issues, which hopefully can assist the development of the ASEAN Community by 2015. Beside also, my first impression to THC was on the existence of great intellectual of Dewi Fortuna Anwar inside the THC, which I have been recognizing her as Concentric Cyrcle's Expert during my last internship at MFA. And fortunatelly, DFA is actually a Chairperson of this THC ASEAN Studies Program :)
Until the time being, I personally assess that those two main objectives of mine are mostly well-achieved. Since from the beginning of my internship day, I have been disposed at ASEAN Studies Program, and been enriched with many strategic issues of ASEAN through some subsatantive assignments I should accomplish, and also through several sources I read, listenned, discussed and watched during these two weeks.
Furthermore, in term of learning and observing the real work atmosphere, ideology, and daily operational of Think Tank in general, I also assess that Im now having more understanding of how to wisely compare the principal differences of bureaucracy and non-bureaucracy field of work. Moreover, just morning I just also dirrectly observed how those 'difference' thingies really work in a real forum hosted by THC, inviting several Diplomats from MFA and from other foreign countries, which are all a bureaucrat.
To this extent of blessing, I would like to convey my high gratitude to JKH who has given me valuable access and information during my application process. Also to Mb'Ima and Pak Ghazali, for kindly giving me this valuable chance to intern at THC, including to Mas Dean, Program Coordinator of ASP for all substantive assignments, primair literatures and inspiring talks during internship time, and finally also to all great researchers and 'teams' of THC, Mb Wenny, Mb'Tassa, Mb'Vita, Mb'Dewi, Mb'Kanti, Mb'Inggrid, Mb'Tatat, Mas Adhy, Mas Bowo, Mas Aan, Pak Iman, and all, for a very warm welcome and deep inspirations you all gave me :)
