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How do issues reach a policy agenda? 

A reflection on Kingdon’s and Downs’s models of agenda setting

In public policy, the agenda-setting stage is known as the problem recognition and issue selection process, because this stage is when a social problem is identified and the requisite for state interference is demonstrated (Wegrich & Jann, 2006). It means there are two processes within agenda-setting. First, where a problem is recognised, and second, where the problem is positioned for further discussion with government- and other actors associated with the problem, as stated by Wegrich & Jann (2006). The two models below believe that a problem can be placed on a governmental agenda once that government admits to the urgency of seeking a solution, which results in producing public policy (Hill & Varone, 2017). Furthermore, claiming social problems as moral issues is a more favourable way of pushing the issue onto the political agenda, and gaining priority in governmental agenda-setting (Hill & Varone, 2017). This explains why the agenda-setting process is highly political, which Kingdon explains via the ‘political stream’, while Downs explains it in the fourth stage: gradual decline of intense public interest.

Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Model 

Kingdon, using his multiple streams model, explains how specific issues are raised by interest groups to be recognised as urgent problems by government (Cairney & Jones, 2016). The multiple streams model consists of three streams: (1) the problem stream, (2) the policy stream and (3) the political stream (Cairney & Jones, 2016). First, the problem stream is when there is common agreement about a problem that is perceived as public interest (Cairney & Jones, 2016; Béland & Howlett, 2016). It means the problem has successfully gained the attention of the policy-makers because of significant events, e.g. focusing events or feedback from existing policies or programmes (Birkland, cited in Cairney & Jones, 2016; Béland & Howlett, 2016; Santoso et al., 2016). Second, the policy stream provides solutions to the problem. This stream can be explained using the term policy primeval soup, in which solutions are suggested by one actor and then changed and improved by another actor (Cairney & Jones, 2016; Béland & Howlett, 2016). Third, the political stream is the opportunity for government or policy-makers to make the proposed solution become policy (Cairney & Jones, 2016). This stream consists of several elements that may persuade policy-makers, e.g. belief and national mood (Cairney & Jones, 2016; Béland & Howlett, 2016). Finally, in Kingdon’s model, when all the streams meet at the same time, the opportunity for a policy window arises, in which the issue is identified as a problem, and the policy-making process begins to solve the problem (Béland & Howlett, 2016). In addition, there are policy entrepreneurs at each stage helps to make the policy window happen (Santoso et al., 2016).

Downs’s Issue Attention Cycle

The issue attention cycle model is embedded in the character of national problem and in how media communicate with public (Downs, 1972). This model helps to explain public attention towards specific issues, particularly by questioning why certain issues receive attention from the public, why there is a shift in public attention towards certain issues, and how long the public will pay attention to that issue (Downs, 1972). Downs (1972) divides the issue-attention cycle into five stages: (1) the pre-problem stage; (2) alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm; (3) realising the cost of significant progress; (4) gradual decline of intense public interest; and (5) the post-problem stage.

First, the pre-problem stage is when there is an unpleasant social condition that, as yet, has not received much attention from public (Downs, 1972). In this stage, only experts and interest groups aware about the problem (Downs, 1972; Hall, 2002). This stage simply means that the problem appears and it is perceived by the public. Second, alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm is when a certain problem finally receives attention from the public because of a significant series of events (Downs, 1972). According to Downs (1972), this alarmed discovery is always followed by euphoric enthusiasm, which reflects the optimism in society that it can address the problem. This combination leads to powerful public pressure on political leaders to pay attention to, and be willing to solve, the problem (Downs, 1972). Third, realising the cost of significant progress is the stage when the public aware that addressing the problem requires significant cost to the affected community (Downs, 1972; Hall, 2002; Petersen, 2009). Downs (1972) adds that such a cost is not only an enormous amount of money, but also sacrifice by particular groups. Due to public awareness towards the complexity of the problem, public become pessimist. Fourth, gradual decline of intense public interest is the stage when there is a decline in public desire to pay attention to the issue (Downs, 1972). It is because media and pessimistic sense of public can strongly influence the level of public attention as stated by Hall (2002). Meanwhile, Kingdon disagree the role of media in agenda-setting because he views the media as only messengers, which do not influence governmental agenda (Hill & Varone, 2017). Nevertheless, in present-day, media play significant role in influencing public attention towards issue, for example exaggerating or making issue receive less attention (Hill & Varone, 2017). Finally, the post-problem stage is when the problem is solved in a well-organised way by way of regular programmes and policy (Hall, 2002). In this stage, even though there is a decline of public interest towards the problem, the programmes and policy will remain (Downs, 1972). 

Critics towards Kingdon's model

The important thing from Kingdon’s multiple stream model is that it does not only helps to explain how public issues and problems become part of the agenda, but also illustrates how issues allure attention, with the help of policy entrepreneurs, to create policy windows as stated by Santoso et al. (2016). Thus, to optimise this model, it is important for these three streams to be used in an collaborative manner (Travis & Zahariadis, 2002). As stated previously, when these three streams are combined and collaborate, it results in an opportunity for a policy window. However, there are two critics for Kingdon’s model. First, it fails to explain the complexity of political stream (Damania, 2001). Second, the model can only partially explain the relationship between the international environment and domestic policy context, which can influence the emergence of a problem (Evans et. al, cited in Travis & Zahariadis 2002; Zhu, cited in Cairney & Jones 2016).

An example of the issuance of USA Patriot Act after 9/11 attack will explain the first critic of Kingdon’s model. First, the problem stream of this case is national security became a concern when in fact it had been raised in congressional talks in 2001 (Damania, 2001). However, only after the 9/11 attack happened, the intelligence and security could shift to the governmental agenda (Damania, 2001). It means that 9/11 attack is the focusing event that can make public aware about the importance of national security in the US. Second, the politic stream is the overall American population’s protest against the 9/11 attack and Bush’s War on Terror Movement supported with prompt proponents from majority Congress (Damania, 2001). This strategy is the approach to persuade policy-maker to find a solution for the problem. Third, the policy stream is when inside and outside government involve to propose a solution, such as government officials, academia, interest group, and researches (Damania, 2001), and this group of varied actors is the policy primeval soup as stated by Cairney & Jones (2016). Furthermore, the Act could pass because of rough measure embraced in the Patriot Act (Damania, 2001). Reflecting on this example, the openness of public to the government’s proposal for policy action was the primary element in making political stream in parallel with another stream (Damania, 2001). However, the politics of Patriot Act is not a linear process between the beginning public reaction to 9/11 attack and the issuance of Patriot Act (Damania, 2001). Even though, the surface-level assessment propose that public protest pointed out to the successful issuance of patriot act, it is unsuccessful to explain the significance of how public opinion have powerful connection on congress (Damania, 2001). Thus, it can be said that this model fails to explain the complexity of the political aspect of this case.

Another example of Germany’s open door policy by Angela Merkel is related to second critic of Kingdon’s model, it can only partially explain the relationship between the international environment and domestic policy context. First, the flight of refugees from Syria to Europe’s border had gained the attention of Germany’s policy-makers (Harding et. al, 2015) and this was perceived as the problem. Second, 93% of the population demanded that Germany should provide safety for refugees (Ciechanowicz & Gibadło, 2015), which was perceived as the national mood. Beliefs and ideologies encompassing the immigration policy also influenced the political stream, which had been reflected in the strong consensus supporting immigration, confirming that the state embraced immigrants, particularly because they were seen as having a positive effect on Germany’s economic growth (Heckmann, 2015). Third, in this case, the policy primeval soup involved many actors, not only national but also international, in the making of this policy solution which is to invite refugees to Germany to provide safety for them (Heckmann, 2015). Regarding the critic, both the politics and policy streams were influenced by the international policy environment and the European and German policy context.  However, the original model of Kingdon which is focus on domestic agenda of a state (without being amended) does not clearly explain how the international environment and domestic policy context interact, then influence both politics and policy stream as stated Travis & Zahariadis (2002).

Critics towards Down's model

This model particularly shows how public attention towards specific issue can increase and decline, therefore, it is important to be noted that public enthusiasm and media coverage are the factors that control the level of public attention as stated by Nisbet & Huge (2006). A criticism of this model is this model only focuses on the emerging of public attention, but does not explain the actual causes of the issue. Reflecting on the example the issuance of USA Patriot Act after 9/11 attack, there is no explicit element in each stage of Downs’s model that requires an explanation of the actual cause of the issue. For example, the first stage only talk about prior to the 9/11 attack, there had been issues concerning terrorist attack in several countries, but only experts were aware of this (Hall, 2002). The second stage only discusses how focusing events can attract public attention to issues, but not to the causes of the issues. There were visual pictures relating to 9/11 attack seen around the world caused a phase of alarmed discovery, and the US quickly marshalled its War on Terror Movement, which can be seen as reflecting euphoric enthusiasm (Hall, 2002). In the third stage, according to Hall (2002), the public thought that the US’s strategy to address the problem did not result in much improvement, which influenced the level of public enthusiasm. In the fourth stage, there was a decline in media coverage, particularly by the New York Times (Petersen, 2009). It can be seen from the stage 1 until 4 where they particularly discuss public attention towards 9/11 attacks, there is no one stage that explain the actual cause of the issue. Nisbet & Huge (2006) also state that this model fails to explain the relationship between attention and the meaning of an issue, and disregards the effect of competing issues in agenda-setting. When the public attention to a certain issue decreases, it does not simply mean that the public has lost interest, it can be because there are several other issues or groups competing for attention and trying to dominate using the power of media.  

Another example is Germany’s open door policy. During the pre-problem stage, a massive number of asylum seekers fled from war in Syria and Iraq into Southern Europe and it has actually started since 2011 (Harding et. al, 2015). In the alarmed discovery and euphoric enthusiasm, in July 2015 there was a video of Merkel talked to a refugee girl in young people forum that not all migrants can remain in Germany, then she cried (BBC News, 2015). This video was spread all over the world and gained attention from international and national people (BBC News, 2015). Then, Merkel decided to open Germany borders to all refugees in September 2015 (The Economist, 2015). It leads to the stage realizing the cost of significant progress. Open door policy by Merkel turned out to bring significant impact to the Germany people, for example terror attacks committed by refugees living in Germany (Durden, 2016). Therefore, it leads to stage gradual decline of intense public interest. According to Downs (1972), in this time for several issues, instead of experiencing a decline of public attention, issues can get into stage two where there is stronger claim and public attention towards the issue. It is stated that there was almost 5000 Germany people protested towards open door policy in July 2016 (Dunn, 2016), then it is perceived that this problem moves back to the stage two. Due to this model looks strongly on how the level of public attention can be influenced by public enthusiasm and media coverage, yet both aspects only trigger the level of public attention, this model does not strongly determine the cause of issue get into agenda-setting. Thus, it ignores the actual cause of issue get into agenda-setting. 

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The pivotal moment in the agenda-setting process is the shift from an issue being recognised, by being continually demonstrated by interest groups, to the formal political agenda, when government participates in the process.  According to Kingdon’s multiple streams model, it can be said that problem can be recognised by society and government, after a focusing event happen which can be found in problem stream and the role of policy entrepreneurs in each stage (problem, politics, and policy) to create policy window. Meanwhile, Downs believe that public attention towards a specific problem can influence the problem being recognised by government as well as society, and the factors that can influence the level of public attention are public enthusiasm and media coverage. 

The major difference between the two models is that Downs sees the role of the media as prominent while Kingdon overlooks the role of the media in agenda-setting. Media now can play an important role in agenda-setting in political ways. However, it does not always influence the process of governmental or formal agenda-setting. It is because when we tend to look more at agenda-setting as process where media play significantly without considering the political aspect of media, then it makes us ignore the actual cause of issue get into agenda-setting as what Down’s model is being criticised in this essay. 

Reference:

BBC News (2015) ‘Angela Merkel attacked over crying refugee girl’, 17 July, Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33555619 (Accessed at: 19 April 2017)

Béland, D. & Howlett, M., 2016. The Role and Impact of the Multiple-Streams Approach in Comparative Policy Analysis. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 18(3), pp.221–227. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13876988.2016.1174410. (Accessed at: 10 April 2017)

Cairney, P. & Jones, M.D., 2016. Kingdon’s Multiple Streams Approach: What Is the Empirical Impact of this Universal Theory? Policy Studies Journal, 44(1), pp.37–58. Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/psj.12111/abstract (Accessed at: 10 April 2017)

Ciechanowicz, A. & Gibadło, L., 2015. Germany’s “refugee” problem. The most important test for Chancellor Merkel and the grand coalition., (182), pp.1–12. Available at: http://aei.pitt.edu/67563/ (Accessed at: 10 April 2017)

Damania, S., 2001. The perfect storm: The politics, policies, and people of the USA Patriot Act. , pp.44–49. Available at: http://web.stanford.edu/group/journal/cgi-bin/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Damania_SocSci_2011.pdf (Accessed at: 10 April 2017)

Dunn, James. (2016) ‘Merkel on the ropes: Thousands of German Protesters take to the streets saying she ‘Must Go’ and a key coalition ally withdraws support to open-door immigration policy after attacks’, Daily Mail, 30 July, Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3715877/Thousands-German-protesters-prepare-streets-Merkel-demonstration-against-Premier-s-immigration-policies-say-caused-terror-attacks.html (Accessed at: 19 April 2017)

Durden, Tyler. (2016) Thousands of Germans Demand Merkel’s Resignation; Protest “Open Door” Immigration Policy. Available at: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-31/thousands-germans-demand-merkels-resignation-protest-open-door-immigration-policy (Accessed at: 19 April 2017)

Downs, A., 1972. Up and Down with Ecology-the “Issue-Attention Cycle .” Public Interest, 28.

Hall, C.M., 2002. Travel Safety, Terrorism and the Media: The Significance of the Issue-Attention Cycle. Current Issues in Tourism, 5(5), pp.458–466. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13683500208667935. (Accessed at: 10 April 2017)

Harding, L. et al. (2015) ‘Refugees welcome? How UK and Germany compare on migration’, The Guardian, 2 September, Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/02/refugees-welcome-uk-germany-compare-migration (Accessed at: 19 April 2017)

Heckmann, F., 2015. Understanding the Creation of Public Consensus: Migration and Integration in Germany, 2005 to 2015. , p.28. Available at: http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/understanding-creation-public-consensus-migration-and-integration-germany-2005-2015 (Accessed at: 10 April 2017)

Hill, M. and F. Varone (2017) The Public Policy Process, 7th Edn., London: Routledge

Nisbet, M.C. & Huge, M., 2006. Attention Cycles and Frames in the Plant Biotechnology Debate. The Harvard International Journal of Press/Politics, 11(2), pp.3–40. Available at: http://hij.sagepub.com/content/11/2/3.abstract. (Accessed at: 10 April 2017)

Petersen, K.K., 2009. Revisiting Downs’ Issue-Attention Cycle: International Terrorism and U.S. Public Opinion. Journal of Strategic Security, 2(4), pp.1–16. Available at: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1063&context=jss (Accessed at: 10 April 2017)

Santoso, D. et al., 2016. The Mitigation of Transient Poverty: Agenda-Setting Discourse in the Formulation Process of the Policy of Poverty Alleviation in Indonesia. Journal of Social Science Studies, 4(1), p.189. Available at: http://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/jsss/article/view/10352. (Available at: 10 April 2017)

The Economist (2015) ‘Germany imposes border controls’, 14 September, Available at: http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21664583-move-taken-reduce-flow-migrants-undermines-europes-free-movement-policies-germany (Accessed at: 19 April 2017)

Travis, R. & Zahariadis, N., 2002. A Multiple Streams Model of U . S . Foreign Aid Policy. Policy Research Journal, 30(4), pp.495–514. Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1541-0072.2002.tb02160.x/abstract (Accessed at: 10 April 2017)

Wegrich, K. & Jann, W., 2006. Theories of the Policy Cycle: Theory, Politics, Method. In F. Fischer, G. J. Miller, & M. S. Sidney, eds. Handbook of Public Policy Analysis. CRC Press, pp. 43–62. Available at: http://www.crcnetbase.com/doi/10.1201/9781420017007.pt2. (Accessed at: 10 April 2017)

[csekarjati]

Makna sakinah yang ternyata sedalam itu :')

Menutup tahun 2023 dan mengawali tahun 2024 dg belajar mentadabburi  kata سَكَنَ yg artinya menetapnya sesuatu setelah sesuatu itu bergerak.

Di sini aku belajar kalo setiap kata yang berasal dari akar kata yang sama, berpotensi untuk memiliki korelasi makna. 

Kata sakana disebutkan 69x dalam Al Quran, salah satunya di surat ar rum:21 yg maknanya ketenangan. 

Intinya sih, di event ini kita melihat korelasi kata sakana di surah ar rum 21 dengan surah lainnya (al baqarah:35; at taubah:103; al kahfi:79; al fath:4; ghafir:61; yasin;38-40, dll). 

Ternyata maknanya dalem & berat bgt weh 🥹 buat aku yg masih belajar 🙏🏽

Satu cerita yang aku inget banget kayak “emang boleh se-deep ini” 😭. 

Ketika rasulullah mendapat wahyu diangkat menjadi nabi pertama kali di gua hiro, trus beliau pulang ke rumah sambil terseok-seok di dinginnya malam, gemeteran ngetuk pintu trus disambut istrinya, Khadijah RA. Bunda Khadijah RA ga bilang apa2, paham kondisi rasulullah, langsung menyelimuti beliau dan mendoakan kebaikan bagi rasulullah. Kemudian rasulullah merasa tenang -  karena Khadijah RA adalah sakinah (tenang) bagi rasulullah. 

Sebenernya udah pernah denger cerita ini sebelumnya, tapi setelah belajar hubungannya dengan ayat-ayat lainnya tu kayak mleyot hatiku. MashaAllah indah bgt🥹

Semoga di tahun 2024 bisa belajar dan bersyukur lebih buanyak banyak banyak lagi. Semoga Allah SWT mudahkan dan mampukan aku. Aamiinnn

[csekarjati]

Teruntuk, Papa.

Papa, makasih sudah mengajarkan aku tentang kebaikan. Papa selalu bilang jangan pernah menghitung sebanyak apa yang sudah kita beri ke orang lain. Kelak apa yang kita tanam adalah apa yang kita tuai, entah itu untuk kita sendiri atau anak kita nanti. 

Papa, makasih sudah mengajarkan aku tentang kejujuran. Papa selalu bilang jangan pernah takut untuk jujur baik dalam ucapan maupun tindakan apapun situasinya. 

Papa, makasih sudah mengajarkan aku tentang kerja keras. Sesulit apapun kondisinya, papa nggak pernah putus asa. Papa selalu bilang jangan pernah sia-siain waktu karena kita nggak pernah tahu kapan kita dipanggil Tuhan. 

Papa, makasih sudah mengajarkan aku tentang kesederhanaan. Papa selalu bilang kalau semua yang kita miliki itu cuma titipan Tuhan.

Papa, makasih sudah mengajarkan aku tentang cinta. Dari papa aku belajar bahwa cinta itu sederhana, untuk selalu ada dan terus berjuang hidup demi istri dan anak-anaknya, sesakit apapun kondisi papa, papa nggak pernah nyerah. 

Makasih banyak ya Pa, untuk semua yang sudah papa berikan ke aku. Berkali-kali aku bersyukur kepada Tuhan telah menjodohkan aku menjadi anak Papa. 

Dan, maaf ya Pa, aku belum bisa memenuhi janjiku ke Papa, untuk nggak pernah bersedih setiap rindu Papa. But, I’m trying my best, Pa. 

Sampai bertemu di Surga, papaku cintaku.

I love you so much, Pa. 

[csekarjati]

I still remember the day you had your first surgery, the doctor called us to tell what happened to you. My heart ached so much. I was not ready at all. We were not ready at all. 

I still clearly remember the night you felt so much pain at the hospital. You could not say anything because you had rubber tube around your mouth and nose. I was hurt too to see you feel the pain by yourself. I was praying to God, “Dear God, Could you please take the pain from my father and make it mine? Please? I would not mind at all” I was just not brave enough to see him struggling over his pain.

I still clearly remember you were getting much better, you could drive by yourself, you could eat by yourself, you could go to lectures, I was very grateful and praying to God, “Dear God, I want to live with my mother and father forever. Please make this moment lasts forever. Please give health and happiness to them. I promise I would be better person to you, to my parents, and to all people around me. Please, Dear God?”

Then, come the hardest moment in my life when I decided to study abroad and leaving you. I was brave enough to take the chance because you promised me you would get better and come to my graduation. You and Mama were the reasons, Everything that I do is always to make both of you happy and proud.

Everytime we had a call, You always said that you were doing fine, until come the day I am afraid so much when you went to hospital and your condition get so much worse. Even though, you always tell us to get ready for whatever would happen in the future, we, and of course, nobody is ready to lose someone they love. 

I decided to come home. My heart broke so much when I see you in ICU room, helpless and powerless.

I still remember clearly you see me for the first time after 6 months being apart, in ICU room, I saw you shed a tear. I come near you and cried, then you said, “Don’t be sad”. Then, I cried harder.

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Dad, it’s been almost two years you have left and I am sorry that I am still crying over you everytime I miss you. I am sorry that I am not becoming the person you want me to be. I am sorry that I am not yet able to make you proud of me. I am trying my best, though. 

Rest easy, Dad. I love you so much.

I love you, again.

Me.

January, 2018.

[csekarjati]

Implementing Open City in Indonesia Cities: Is It Necessary?

As a student who deals with loads of research projects, the ease of collecting data is crucial. I would be more relieved if I live in a developed country where the governance is open and transparent. Adversely, from where I originally come from, Indonesia, it is still relatively difficult to get up timely data from central government, especially at regional level. I still remember when I was an undergraduate student, I need to went back and forth many times to local government agencies, so that I could get permission to ask data and information from certain local government offices. It would not be a burden If I got the data just like what I need. Frequently, the data was not periodically up to date and sadly, it could not be processed because the data format did not support the users to did so.

 What is the best solution for that problem?

I would say the central government together with local governments should collaborate to implement open data. What is open data? Open data is a collection of data which public can access and modify for their own purposes, and it should be in the form of open formats, such as XML or CSV. Then, the next question, how does government promote open data? It can be achieved through implementing a new concept of open city.

 Open city is where the city government uses ICT to publish data and information to the public in open format, so the public can utilize the data for the better purpose. The use of ICT can give many benefits to the city governance. While using ICT properly for delivering public service, it can improve the efficiency of public services. Moreover, it can also make government data be more accessible and utilizable by the public. By designing open city, citizens are empowered through using ICT for contributing to urban change and solving urban problems. For example, it will be beneficial for organizations, community, or individuals who work in policy advocacy. They can use the open data published by the government, analyze it, and finally provide new information which public can easily read and understand. Furthermore, the public can stay up to date on the important things that happen in their city. More importantly, the concept of open city encourages the city stakeholders to become more innovative to shape their city to become more convenient for urban citizens. However, of course, an open city can be implemented successfully if the citizens are technology-literate and adaptive to changes.

 On the other hand, some people argue about the usefulness of this concept. They think that technology that is used in open city can be disruptive. It can change the social context which makes people become more individual, yet connected. There will also be high competition between conventional business and modern business, for example, online taxi VS public taxi. Therefore, the government is expected to prepare the society to be ready enough to transform itself to be more adaptive in globalization era so it can reduce the chaos between modern businesses and conventional ones.  

[csekarjati]

Happy Birthday, Papa!

Papa, 

Hari ini, 2 Mei 2017, papa berumur 62 tahun. Walaupun kita udah berada di dunia berbeda, buat aku papa masih selalu ada buat aku. 

Papa, 

aku belum sempat bilang betapa terima kasihnya aku dibesarkan oleh laki-laki seperti papa. Aku nggak pernah menyangka kalau papa pergi secepat ini. Dan juga, aku nggak pernah tahu kalau aku punya bapak sekuat papa. Alhamdulillah Ya Allah, Engkau pertemukan aku dengan orang tua yang sangat hebat. Makasih Ya Allah :)

Aku paham kalau semua yang ada di dunia itu sementara. Seandainya saja kalau kita bisa selalu hidup bersama-sama dengan orang yang kita cintai, aku ingin selamanya hidup sama papa dan mama. 

Papa,

Sekali lagi selamat ulang tahun. Semoga Allah karuniakan kehidupan yang jauh lebih indah di sana. Sampai bertemu di Jannah-Nya ya, Pa.

I love you, Pa. <3 

[csekarjati]

“Please, use us. We are being paid because of that”

Di Indonesia, kadang, mau konsultasi sama dosen aja susahnya minta ampun, entah seringkali email atau sms ngajak janjian nggak di bales atau pas jamnya ketemu dosennya malah ga ada atau lagi rapat. Di Birmingham, dosen malah encourage kita untuk “memakai” jasa mereka sebaik-baiknya.

Udah tiga minggu tinggal di UK dan hampir seminggu memulai perjalanan kuliah postgraduate di University of Birmingham, UK. Bukan hanya kuliah sih, tapi juga mencari hal-hal positif yang bisa dipelajarin dan harapannya bisa aku bawa pulang dan terapin di rumah atau bahasa gaulnya life lesson. Ceilah~

Flashback ke tiga minggu lalu, begitu pertama sampai menginjakkan kaki di kota Birmingham, nggak ada sama sekali jetlag ataupun culture shock. Justru, di minggu awal kuliah baru berasa culture shock-nya, haha. Jelas, karena gaya pendidikan di Indonesia sama British beda banget. I did not expect the difference was this big. 

Datanglah hari pertama kuliah di mana sebelumnya udah disodorin dua reading materials utama dan belasan lainnya adalah tambahan. Sehari sebelumnya udah siapin baca-baca reading materials yang memang required dulu karena bakal ada sesi diskusi kelompok di hari pertama. 

(Perlu diingat, universitas-universitas di UK punya portal website di mana dosen dan mahasiswa jadi satu dan tiap dosen bakal upload handbook, modules, assignment, beserta hal-hal apa aja yang bakal terjadi di tiap sesi pertemuan.)

Ternyata, baca reading materials utama aja nggak cukup, haha! Bakal berasa banget ketika udah masuk sesi diskusi, jadinya kurang bisa menguasai topiknya. Hal ini jadi pelajaran banget buat aku bahwa kedepannya harus lebih jauh lagi persiapannya. Alhasil sampai rumah langsung bikin jadwal belajar karena time management itu memang penting. Dan, aspek main nggak boleh ditinggalin. Pasal 1, belajar itu utama. Pasal 2, main dan jalan-jalan nggak boleh ketinggalan.

Kuliah hari kedua adalah tentang study skills and dissertation. Kuliah macam begini yang nggak ada di Indonesia. Mereka paham bener kita udah bayar mahal sekolah dan jauh-jauh pindah benua buat cari ilmu, jadi mereka juga kasih fasilitas yang luar biasa banget! Sebenarnya yang diajarin menurut aku adalah hal kecil, tapi essential!. Contohnya adalah manner ketika kamu sedang terlibat dalam group discussion: Apa yang harus kamu lakuin sebagai individu bagian dari grup, apa yang harus setiap individu lakukan dalam grup, dan hal-hal yang perlu dihindari ketika berada dalam group discussion. Menurut aku, hal ini penting banget karena bikin kita aware untuk bagaimana memposisikan diri sebagai individu dan menghargai orang lain ketika berada dalam group discussion.

Nilai lain yang aku pelajarin dari kuliah kedua ini adalah betapa dosen-dosen di sini sangat menghargai kita sebagai student-nya. Kebetulan dosen yang ngasih kuliah ini udah cukup pantas buat dipanggil Grandpa, tetapi beliau sangat kebapakan (beda sama dosen-dosen (bahkan yang masih muda) di Indonesia yang biasanya gengsi dan sukanya dikejar). Beliau sangat menekankan, “kamu kalau ada permasalahan, silahkan email saya atau temui saya di jam kantor”; “kalau ada pertanyaan, tolong langsung hubungi saya”, dan terakhir yang bikin aku sebagai murid terenyuh adalah “please, use us. I am being paid because of that”. Hal ini yang belum aku temui di gaya pendidikan di Indonesia. Semoga Indonesia bisa belajar banyak sistem pendidikan di luar negeri dan semoga semakin banyak dosen yang punya mindset sama kayak dosen-dosen di Birmingham yang mau meluangkan paling banyak waktunya untuk konsultasi sama mahasiswanya, bukan banyakin proyek di luar, hehe. 

Birmingham, 5 Oktober 2016

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can’t wait for sense8 season 2! yeah!

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