Jakarta, May 17th 2023 – Courage, confidence, sincerity, thorough academic preparation, and prayer brought Dwina Juliana Warman, a student from Bogor, to achieve her dream of continuing her Masters studies in Japan. Supported by the Ajinomoto Scholarship, Dwina has now graduated and earned a Master of Science degree from Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture & Life Sciences – The University of Tokyo.
Dwina was the winner of the Ajinomoto Scholarship in the 2020 academic year. For Dwina, participating in the Ajinomoto Scholarship selection was very tough and challenging. “The Ajinomoto Scholarship is an extraordinary scholarship program, each year only choosing one winner. So, Ajinomoto is looking for the best to be given a scholarship to Japan. PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA (Ajinomoto) as the organizer of the selection is very professional and serious in handling the Ajinomoto scholarship program. Through the Ajinomoto scholarship, I feel that Ajinomoto really supports the Indonesian children to study and keep improving, so that in the future, they can give positive impacts to Indonesia and the wider community. The Ajinomoto scholarship program played an important role in completing my master's degree at the University of Tokyo, because thanks to the scholarships, I don't have to worry about living expenses and school fess, and I can focus on my studies," said Dwina.
“My tips are never to be afraid to try and never stop pursuing your big dreams. I think many of us feel less confident or afraid to try the Ajinomoto scholarship because there is only one winner each year. But if we don't try, then we will never know the result. The Ajinomoto Scholarship is one of the great opportunities to realize your dreams to study at the best university in Japan. My trick is to do your best in preparing for each stage of the selection and leave the results to God. Good preparation when meets the opportunity, hopefully will result in a success," she continued.
In her success story, Dwina also shared how she was given a rare opportunity to have an international publication (journal) in her first year of study.
“At that time, I was given an opportunity to have an international publication, even though at that time I was still a first year Master’s student. In Japan, very few first-year master’s students who have the opportunity to write in an international journal. However, I am very grateful because my supervisors really supported me to become a scientist, and they gave me the opportunity to write a journal which was published in the Nutrients journal on February 10, 2022," said Dwina.
“There are other interesting and memorable stories that I want to share when I was in the master program. It was when I was selected as one of the top 20 young Asian researchers to take part in the "IUNS International Workshop on Capacity and Leadership Development in Nutritional Sciences 2021", and was entrusted as a team leader. I was the only participant from Indonesia and I was the youngest participant in my group. Apart from the happy moments, of course there were also some moments when I felt struggled. Just like any other international students, I also felt homesick and missed Indonesian cuisine. But fortunately, I was able to ask my Indonesian friends to bring some spices to Japan when they took a vacation to Indonesia. My favorite seasonings are Sajiku® Nasi Goreng and Soto Ayam, because they taste delicious and practical, so you don't need to add any other seasonings (very convenient). I usually make nasi goreng Jawa or nasi goreng sehat kaya serat, like those in the Dapur Umami recipe collection. I highly recommend the recipes on the Dapur Umami website because the recipes are very creative, up to date, and most importantly, delicious. Thank you Ajinomoto Indonesia for helping to cure the longing for Indonesian cuisine!" she continued.
This student—who loves reading book— then told more about her plans after graduating and earning a Master of Science degree from The University of Tokyo. “After this, I hope to continue to deepen the knowledge I have learned so that I can contribute more to a wider community. Thus, I decided to continue to the doctoral degree in the same field at the University of Tokyo,” said Dwina.
PT AJINOMOTO INDONESIA is committed to continuing to provide opportunities for Indonesian young people every year to achieve their dreams for continuing their master's studies at several well-known universities in Japan.