Dian Ekowati

Hello there, kind to know me better? Please spend a minute of your time to read something about me. My name is Dian Ekowati. I am from Indonesia’s second biggest city, Surabaya.

My father plays very crucial roles in shaping my characters as a person. He keeps saying that “People might be able to take anything you owned from you, but they would never, never, and never be able to take one thing, which is your education”. Although I came from an ordinary family, my parents do believe that having good education would bring the exposures to open our mind for different perspectives which at the same time teach us to open our mind and bring down our arrogance to willingly accept other people’s ideas. Moreover, having a good education also implies the need to elaborate good quality of intellectual capacity and the sense to apply the result of the study to be more beneficial for others, to a wider society. A lesson learned that I got from my father is that I should be useful for other as much as I can as a person. Be useful, even for a small thing.

I got my undergraduate degree in management from Gadjah Mada University (GMU), majoring in Strategic Management. Right after graduated, I got a scholarship from the World Bank thru URGE Project to pursue Master of Science degree and graduated from this program with CumLaude award. I took a major of Strategic Management and minor interest in Strategic Human Resource Management. Once I graduated from Gadjah Mada University, I was granted an ADS scholarship from Australian Government to pursue master degree with a major in Organizational Change in the University of Melbourne. Having graduated from all of these schools, I believe that all knowledge is important and worthy.

Related to what I am now, the exposure that made me decide to be a lecturer and researcher in the area of management and organizations began when I was in my third year of study in undergraduate level. I was recruited by Inter University Center for Economic Study Gadjah Mada University – a World Bank funded organization, as a research assistant. As a research assistant, I was involved in various researches and interact with many lecturers and researchers, both from GMU itself and other foreign institutions as well. The opportunity of being a research assistant shaped my perspectives on my future career, being a lecturer and a researcher as it would give me the opportunity to be beneficial for others while at the same time broaden perspective and deepening knowledge on subject and enriching it with robust research abilities.

Back from the University of Melbourne, I work as a lecturer in the Department of Management, Faculty of Economics Airlangga University, Surabaya. Being  in  such different institution, I found it challenging to adapt to the people as well as to the culture. My current assignment is as Vice Director for Academic Affair for the Technological and -Professional Skills Development Project -a project under the Asian Development Bank.

I am now married to the kindest person I ever met...EriQ who has a genuine capabilities in understanding the restless me…. I am also being a very happy mom of 3 georgeous kids.. Hana, Danny, and Anya… I am still on my never ending journey and will still try to fulfill my father’s dream for me… to be beneficial for others…