His interest in energy issues and sustainable economic development has led Naufal Mohamad Firdausyan to receive a scholarship from the Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP) to pursue a master’s degree.
The 2019 alumnus of the Department of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB-UGM), has been accepted into a double-degree program in the Master of Development Economics (MEP) at FEB UGM and the Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow.
After graduating and attending the commencement ceremony in August 2023, Naufal said he did not immediately continue his studies. Instead, he chose to actively engage in research and community service at the Energy Studies Center (PSE) UGM. Through these activities, he focused on downstream oil and gas governance, energy transition, and the evaluation of national energy policies, gaining experience in quantitative data processing, primary field studies, and coordination with various partners, including government institutions.
Through this experience, he came to understand that downstream mining and various resource-based development projects require approaches that consider not only economic benefits but also the accompanying social costs. He also realized that environmental valuation is a crucial instrument to ensure environmental degradation is not treated as an overlooked externality in policy formulation.
“We often calculate industrial value added but do not seriously incorporate environmental damage into policy calculations. That is where the urgency of environmental valuation lies,” he said at the UGM campus on Tuesday (Mar. 3).
His strong commitment to these issues led Naufal to enroll in the Master of Development Economics program at FEB UGM in 2025, specializing in sustainable economic development. For him, the program provides theoretical and methodological foundations, particularly in economic theory, public policy analysis, and quantitative approaches for impact evaluation.
Through the double-degree program, Naufal will complete his first year of study in the MEP program at FEB UGM before continuing his second year at the University of Glasgow through the Master of Science in Environment and Sustainable Development program at the Adam Smith Business School. In this program, Naufal emphasizes learning about integrating environmental aspects into the framework of economic development.
He considers the double-degree scheme strategically important to institutional relations, as it strengthens academic cooperation between UGM and the University of Glasgow and opens opportunities for cross-border research collaboration. Studying in two different education systems, he said, enriches his academic experience and provides what he describes as “double exposure,” broadening both his perspective and his professional networks.
Naufal explained that his decision to pursue further study was accompanied by preparations to apply for the LPDP scholarship, which would begin in late 2024. He submitted his application in Batch 1 of 2025, simultaneously with his application to UGM’s graduate program. He then prepared various administrative documents, including his diploma, academic transcript, IELTS certificate, curriculum vitae, and essay. The main challenge he faced was synchronizing the timelines between university applications and the LPDP process, particularly in obtaining the Letter of Acceptance (LoA).
According to Naufal, the most challenging part was writing a focused and well-structured essay. He emphasized the importance of clearly positioning oneself and relating it to current conditions. In his essay, he highlighted the urgency of strengthening Indonesia’s capacity for environmental valuation. This topic stemmed from his research experience in the oil, gas, and mining sectors, outlining how further study could enhance his analytical capacity to address these issues. In his view, this approach is more realistic than promising abstract, large-scale change.
“The essay is the core of the assessment because it demonstrates the direction of study and the contribution one can make. I worked on it for nearly two weeks, discussing it with friends and LPDP alumni so that my Statement of Intent would be clear and academically and practically strong,” he explained.
Naufal noted that in pursuing the LPDP scholarship, beyond academic preparation, careful attention to administrative documents, effective time management between university and scholarship applications, and mental readiness for an intensive selection process are equally important. He is grateful to have secured the scholarship on his first attempt. This achievement, he said, would not have been possible without the support of his family.
For him, the academic journey is not merely about formal achievements but about the consistency to complete what has been started. Through this double-degree program, he hopes to further strengthen his research capacity in natural resource economics and sustainable development.
“Further education is not the ultimate goal. For me, it is an instrument to strengthen analytical competence in a more comprehensive way by combining theoretical rigor, methodological precision, and sensitivity to social and environmental implications,” he concluded.
Reporter: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum / FEB UGM Public Relations
Author: Agung Nugroho
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photo: FEB UGM Documentation