Author Archives: josefmtd

Sebuah Kenangan Prof. MH Matondang

Orang banyak mengenal sosok Prof. Matondang sebagai seorang guru besar, pemimpin, dan mungkin teladan. Bagi saya, dia adalah ompung Grogol, adik dari mendiang ompung kandung saya. Sewaktu kecil, saya tidak mengerti sama sekali adat Batak, ompung kandung saya sudah meninggal sejak papi saya masih di bangku sekolah. Ompung Grogol yang banyak menjelaskan sedikit demi sedikit,Continue reading “Sebuah Kenangan Prof. MH Matondang”

Reflections on Work Experience

This is the summer internship season and I’ve found myself also looking back to my first internships and work experience. When looking back, I find myself being grateful of the guidance and advices I’ve received from my seniors/mentors. I feel like writing this post to list them so I can remember if my memory failsContinue reading “Reflections on Work Experience”

Compare Yourself to Who You Were Yesterday

“Will there be a mandatory history course on campus?” asked a 15 year old Josef during a presentation by his high school alumni. During high school, I’ve always found myself failing the subject and having no interest to study history at all, except to retake the exams. Now, I feel like I’m in a differentContinue reading “Compare Yourself to Who You Were Yesterday”

Learning from the Finns and Norwegians

Soon, I’ll finish my second semester in Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge (USN), a part of my two years Erasmus+ program in Smart Systems Integrated Solutions (SSIs), where I study in Aalto (Finland), USN (Norway), and BME (Hungary). Although both Finland and Norway share some similarity, there’s a slight difference in the educational system. Both offer freeContinue reading “Learning from the Finns and Norwegians”

On Returning to Indonesia: A Reflection

Earlier this year, the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo called out a talented data science expert from NU, Ainun Najib to return to Indonesia. This shoutout by the president sparked some conversations regarding whether or not diaspora should return and build back. Although most people recognize this move as a gimmick, which is quite common forContinue reading “On Returning to Indonesia: A Reflection”

MEMS dan Semester Pertama di Aalto

Sebentar lagi saya akan menyelesaikan semester pertama di Aalto University dalam studi S2 saya di program Smart Systems Integrated Solutions (SSIs) bagian dari Erasmus+. Semester depan saya akan melanjutkan studi di University of South Eastern Norway. Kesamaan Aalto dan USN adalah posisinya sebagai anggota laboratorium mikro-nano di negaranya masing-masing, di mana anggotanya adalah kelompok industriContinue reading “MEMS dan Semester Pertama di Aalto”

Depression, Coping Mechanism, and Mental Health

This is a short story on my experience dealing with depression. Please take care of yourself if you’re feeling down before you implode, or explode. I have a childhood trauma and problem that’s been holding me back for a long time. I have been choosing to ignore it for the past years. I was soContinue reading “Depression, Coping Mechanism, and Mental Health”

Kondisi Polusi Udara di Indonesia

Di tengah PPKM, kondisi udara di Jakarta tidak lebih baik dari sebelumnya. Bergantinya musim dan berkurangnya hujan menyebabkan partikel-partikel pencemar udara terakumulasi. Sudah banyak studi yang menunjukkan bahwa PM2.5 berbahaya untuk kesehatan masyarakat, apalagi saat adanya pandemi COVID-19 yang menyerang sistem pernapasan. Ada juga studi yang mencoba menghubungkan konsentrasi PM2.5 di area urban berpopulasi tinggiContinue reading “Kondisi Polusi Udara di Indonesia”