On June 21st, 2022, Interim Dean Dr. Stephen McDowell joined an international webinar to present CCI graduate programs to prospective graduate students in Indonesia.
The webinar was hosted by the Education and Cultural Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and was designed to foster educational opportunities between Indonesia and the United States.
“We want to recruit interested and well-prepared students around the world,” McDowell said. “International students who are in our program add diverse perspectives and help us build global networks of alumni and friends.”
Over 50 people were in attendance, including iSchool student Muhamad “Prabu” Wibowo. An Indonesian himself, Prabu spoke to prospective students about his experiences as an international student within the doctoral program.
“I talked not only about academics and research, but also about classmates, and the joy and tears of being a doctoral student,” Prabu said. “I also explained why I decided to go to FSU and the iSchool. FSU is one of the highest-ranking schools in the US in the field of Information Science. Besides academic ranking, FSU is in the South, therefore the climate is similar to what I have in my home country. This made it quick to adapt. It feels like home.”
Prabu went on to describe some of the challenges of finding a graduate program in another country. “Most of the students have little information or no clue at all about becoming an international student in the US. Hence, they are usually in fear of things that can be avoided or minimized (cultural shock, etc.). They need to be informed of the admission process and the activities of becoming an international student in the US.”
CCI hopes to continue to foster connections with prospective graduate students around the world. To see the full webinar, click here.
