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Lukito Adi Nugroho

Indonesia, Jogjakarta
Ph.D candidate,
Graduate School of Advanced Mathematical Sciences

Meiji University: Bridging my dream

Lukito Adi Nugroho

“I’m living my dream!” That was my first sentence when my feet stepped off the plane at Narita. I had been dreaming of living in Japan since my childhood as I grew up watching Japanese cartoons (or so-called “anime”) and playing video games which at that time mostly came from Japan.

Moreover, while in university, I also learned that Japan is one of the most respected countries in the world in terms of economic achievement, proven by being the only country representing Asia among the G8 countries. The Japanese people are well known for their culture and unique approach to management, and it is these fundamental approaches and culture that have resulted in Japanese products now being found almost everywhere in the world. That is why I believed that Japan would be the perfect place for me to study if I wanted to seek out the potential in my own country, given the fact that we share close cultural proximity. Therefore I set my goal to study and gain experience in Japan so that someday I could return home and make a contribution to my country.

Unfortunately it was not easy for me to attain my dream, as studying in Japan would incur considerable cost and most universities use Japanese as their primary language. So, my dream faded as my savings were not sufficient (nor were they likely ever to be sufficient) to cover the tuition fees. In addition, my Japanese language was practically going nowhere from basic level because I lacked opportunities to practice. In the midst of despair, I had a moment of enlightenment while browsing the internet. Meiji University, one of the top ranking universities in Japan, had established an international program sponsored by the G30 project (a prestigious MEXT project that promotes the globalization of Japanese higher education by inviting more international students), as Meiji University is one of MEXT’s selected universities. One of those programs suited my research area, and it came with a full scholarship! So I prepared the entire document and submitted my application. To cut a long story short, the result came and I was accepted.

So now, here I am, living in one of the most fascinating cities in the world living my dream. Studying in Meiji University is beyond my expectations. It provides excellent facilities to work on my research, including distinguished faculty members who are experts in their fields, and a sophisticated library with diverse books and downloadable e-journals, etc. Meiji University also provides Japanese language courses held on campus which improve my level of acclimatization to Japan and provide opportunities to exchange experiences with other international students.

I hope that Meiji University will open more international programs in the future which will invite more people to live and study in Japan. Thank you Meiji!!!

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