Andreas from Indonesia
Personal information
- Name: Andreas Yunus
- Age: 29
- Country of origing: Jakarta, Indonesia
- Current residence: The Hague, the Netherlands
- Likes to read books, do volunteer work and travel. Also likes to spend time on equity research and stock valuation.
Hoi allemaal! My name is Andreas and I am in my final year of the Engineering and Policy Analysis Master programme. My decision to choose the EPA programme is not straightforward. Before arriving at the TU Delft, I already worked for almost five years in my home country. Moreover, I have a degree in Electrical Engineering from Bandung Institute of Technology in Indonesia. I have work experiences in both financial institution and multinational consumer goods company.
I began to develop my interest in economics and finance when I was working for a multinational bank. However, it was hard to advance my career there because I lacked fundamental knowledge in economics and finance. Hence, from that point, I started thinking about continuing my education and gaining more expertise in economics and finance. On the other hand, I didn't want to throw my engineering background away. So, I was looking for a master programme that offers a combination of both engineering and a specialization in economics and finance.
Based on that information, I started focussing on a country to study in to narrow down my options. I wanted to choose a country with a good reputation in innovation, human development, research, and job opportunities. This lead me to The Netherlands, which has a balanced ranking regarding all of those aspects. Furthermore, Amsterdam is one of the most crucial start up hubs in Europe. Considering those aspects, I did not have to worry about opportunities after graduation.
Then, I began to look for a master programme at the TU Delft, one of the best research universities in The Netherlands. For the engineering side, I was looking for a master's programme that offers courses in data analytics and system modelling, since those capabilities are what industries are currently looking for. For the specialization, I wanted to enhance my expertise in macroeconomics for policy analysis which is relevant to my passion and the career I want to have after graduation.
Engineering and Policy Analysis at the TU Delft offers expertise in both engineering and the possibility to take a specialization in economics and finance in the second year. Long story short: I was accepted by the programme, and here I am, writing this article to inform future prospective students. In EPA, we are dealing with various grand challenges such as climate change, migration, refugee crisis, and many more. We try to improve those conditions and provide an optimum recommendation by utilizing a combination between simulation, modelling, and data-analysis methods to support the decision-making process. For example, in the third quarter I worked on a project where I had to work in a team to map the vulnerability of Bangladesh's road infrastructure during a flood disaster. The outcome of this project would be useful in finding the most vulnerable parts of the overall infrastructure which would affect the distribution of humanitarian aid.
Furthermore, my overall experience of studying at the TU Delft is very positive. The main difference in the education system between my home country and the TU Delft can be found in the collaboration. The EPA programme emphasizes the importance of group assignments which is beneficial for my personal development. I learned a lot and had a fantastic experience so far working in a multicultural and diverse environment to solve international grand challenges. I believe that EPA's multicultural approach is beneficial for our career development in the future.
Finally, after graduation, I would like to follow my passion and plan which is the fundamental reason I chose EPA in the first place. I would like to have a career as an analyst specialized in the economics and finance field, utilizing the skills I learned in the EPA programme. Furthermore, I would like to pursue more expertise in the economics and finance field. Hence, I am going to take CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) certification besides doing my job.
Last but not least, as Steve Jobs said: "Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future."
Tot ziens and we're looking forward to meeting you on the programme! Have a nice day!