Steven Walker Simangunsong's remarkable experience as a Tax Administration program student at the Universitas Sumatera Utara, successfully securing a prestigious scholarship from the Indonesian government under the auspices of the LPDP agency, namely IISMA (International Indonesian Scholarship Awards) at Coventry University, United Kingdom. In the current era of quality education access, human resource investment becomes a crucial aspect in advancing the potential of the nation's youth. This time, Steven's opportunity to be one of the representatives receiving funding of almost half a billion in the IISMA program. For him, this scholarship is not just financial assistance, but also an opportunity to explore educational potential on an international scale, providing access to delve deeper into practical aspects relevant to his career.
According to Steven, this scholarship is optimally justified through the university's program and comprehensive facilities provided by Coventry University. As an international student studying Finance and Banking, Steven gains a handful of educational investment benefits at Coventry University, strengthening his foundation in formal education, character development, and integrity education. Steven's opportunity as a Finance student began with access to the Bloomberg Terminal software, a computer terminal providing financial information, market data, and sophisticated analytical tools, which became one of Steven's main weapons in navigating and gathering relevant information in the financial sector in real-time and globally. Based on available data, the cost to access the Bloomberg Terminal is quite high, reaching hundreds of millions per year and limited to financial institutions. However, thanks to the Indonesian government's financial support, Steven was able to pursue education at Coventry University, he gained invaluable experience in his formal education.
The IISMA scholarship program helps him advance to higher formal education and creates a resilient moral and emotional character transformation. Navigating through the IISMA program, Steven understands that self-investment is not just about increasing IQ or achieving academic degrees but about growing as a meaningful human being, providing evidence of reciprocal contribution to the surrounding environment. During his IISMA activities in Coventry, Steven was directly mentored by Professor Benny Tjahjono, an expert in Sustainability and Supply Chain Management. He also serves as the Director of Research Engagement for Indonesia. "Education investment programs like this are key for many individuals to grow not only as competent professionals in formal education but also as breakthroughs in interpersonal transformation with integrity for the recipients," concludes Steven.
