Apia Dewi Agustin is one of the master’s graduates at the Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) commencement last Wednesday (Jul. 23) at Grha Sabha Pramana.
This young woman from Magetan Regency, East Java, successfully graduated from the Master of Accounting Science Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), with a near-perfect Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.96.
Her study period was 1 year, 4 months, and 29 days.
Even upon graduating from the master’s program, she was already registered as a first-semester student in the Doctoral Program in Accounting Science at FEB UGM.
The educational path taken by Apia Dewi Agustin has indeed caught public attention. Despite living in a remote village in Magetan Regency, she successfully pursued her undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral education at FEB UGM, all at no cost, thanks to her academic achievements.
Agustin successfully utilized the Bidikmisi and FEB UGM Alumni Family (Kafegama) scholarships, graduating with cum laude honors from the UGM Bachelor’s Program in Accounting in 2022.
After that, she briefly worked as a project management analyst at a multinational company.
Despite already working, Agustin’s desire to learn and become an academician continued to grow.
She feels grateful that in 2023, she again had the opportunity to continue her postgraduate studies at FEB UGM for free. This was through the Master’s to Doctorate Education for Outstanding Graduates (PMDSU) scholarship scheme.
Agustin’s journey appears smooth and seamless at a glance, but the truth is that her struggle to achieve her education was not easy.
Growing up in a humble family far from the city center, Agustin is known for being a person who never gives up. Her father, a farmer who never completed formal education, passed away when she was in her fifth semester of undergraduate studies.
Meanwhile, her mother, who only finished elementary school, works as a daily grocery store vendor.
Although they did not have a decent education, Agustin’s parents had a strong desire for her to pursue higher education.
Both her parents believed that education is a path that can change one’s life for the better, and Agustin did not waste any opportunity.
She always gave her maximum effort in every academic activity. Agustin admitted that it was not easy to undergo an accelerated program for both master’s and doctoral degrees with a maximum target of 4 years. This was through the PMDSU scholarship scheme.
“The challenges are tough, especially in terms of time management and emotional regulation to face the dense academic tasks and research obligations, both from lectures and the PMDSU scholarship scheme,” she revealed on Wednesday (Jul. 30).
No matter how heavy the challenges she faced, Agustin admitted she was grateful and fortunate to have the support of a supportive environment at FEB UGM.
This support came from her supervisor, promoter team, lecturers, head of the study program, professional staff, and fellow students.
All of them supported the smooth progress of her studies, especially the role of Professor Mahfud Sholihin, as her promoter. He was always diligent in providing guidance.
“Good communication and collaboration with the promoter are essential. I am very grateful to Professor Sholihin, who has helped and guided me a great deal. With his patience, he has become my inspiration to be a dedicated academician and researcher,” Agustin explained.
Agustin also admitted that she did not only focus on her studies. She was actively involved in various activities, including conducting research and attending international conferences alongside her supervisor and fellow students at FEB UGM, as well as winning several best paper and best presenter awards.
She also served as an assistant at the Center for Accountability and Governance Studies (PAKAR) in the Department of Accounting Laboratory and for undergraduate classes.
Agustin successfully graduated from the master’s program by submitting a thesis on the factors that drive climate-related disclosures in companies in the Asia Pacific region.
The results of this research show that financial performance, climate-related environmental performance, and a more long-term oriented social culture contribute to encouraging climate-related disclosures in the Asia Pacific region.
It is recorded that this thesis has been submitted to a scientific journal and has been developed into various other outputs. One of them is currently being published as a book on climate change reporting.
According to Agustin, the direction of further research from this thesis was also successfully supported by a competitive grant from FEB UGM, in collaboration with her thesis supervisor and examiner.
The success she achieved is, of course, the fruit of her diligence, consistency, and hard work. Not to mention the prayers and support from her family, teachers, lecturers, and friends.
Agustin admitted to being very impressed with the values of integrity, objectivity, and equality that FEB UGM holds. These values greatly helped her in her studies and daily life.
“Being at FEB UGM taught me that integrity is not just about honesty but also about commitment, the courage to defend the truth, and consistency. I also feel how objectivity and equality are truly applied. Every person is treated without regard to origin, status, or background. These are the values that have made me feel truly embraced at FEB, from my undergraduate studies to the present. Here, I learn and grow with values, not just academic grades,” Agustin explained.
Agustin’s journey to complete her postgraduate education is still ongoing. At present, she is in her third semester of the Doctoral Program at FEB UGM.
For her, challenges will always exist, but she firmly believes that many opportunities and doors will open if she continues to strive.
“Never be afraid to dream big. Despite various limitations, if you continue to pray and work hard sincerely, the path and opportunities will always find a way to come. Keep doing good,” Agustin concluded.
Reporter: FEB UGM/Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya