Universitas Gadjah Mada
Faculty of Economics and Business

Graduating from a doctoral program in a short time with cum laude honors is a dream for every student. This is the story of Grisna Anggadwita, a student in the Management Science Study Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FEB UGM), who completed her Ph.D. in 2 years, nine months, and 21 days with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.87, earning cum laude honors.

While the average duration of a doctoral program is 4.5 years, Grisna's achievement made her the best graduate of the Doctoral Program at FEB UGM, which was awarded during the Postgraduate Graduation Ceremony for the Academic Year 2023/2024.

Grisna admitted that pursuing doctoral studies took work. Many challenges differed vastly from those faced during her undergraduate and master's studies. Strong motivation is needed to complete the studies well and graduate on time.

Tips for Quick Graduation

The 37-year-old woman from Cirebon stated that finding a supervisor is the main thing to prepare for when entering a doctoral program. According to her, the supervisor plays a crucial role in the dissertation writing process for postgraduate students.

"The journey of a Ph.D. depends on the supervisor, so find a supervisor who is 'in sync' so that the dissertation writing process can go smoothly and you can graduate quickly," she said.

She added that the search for a supervisor should ideally begin at the start of the Ph.D. program. Approach lecturers or potential supervisors whose research is relevant to your dissertation topic.

According to Grisna, a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Business at Telkom University, she was fortunate to have very supportive supervisors during her dissertation writing. Her dissertation, titled "Women's Entrepreneurship in the Internationalization of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia," was supervised by Prof. Nurul Indarti, Ph.D., and Prof. Wakhid Slamet Ciptono, Ph.D.

Grisna feels very lucky to have had two supervisors with extraordinary energy. Prof. Nurul is very concerned about research and is fully dedicated to providing inspirational guidance and encouraging her to reach her maximum potential.

"Prof. Nurul never hesitated to offer me many research grant opportunities relevant to my field of study. Meanwhile, Prof. Wakhid is an inspirational and wise figure who always provides deep insights, allowing me to see my research from a broader perspective. Not all students get this privilege," explained Grisna, who pursued her doctoral studies with an Indonesian Education Scholarship (BPI).

Time management was also crucial for Grisna's smooth study process. Besides being a student, she is also a mother of two children, aged six and five, so she had to be meticulous in managing her time between study and family. As a migrant from Bandung, she placed her children in daycare while she attended classes. Her husband frequently traveled back and forth between Bandung and Yogyakarta to support her.

Grisna revealed that every doctoral student has a journey with different challenges. "I maximized my time for research and writing when my children were in daycare. There were still obstacles, such as research results that did not meet expectations or articles rejected by journals, and sometimes health issues disrupted my studies," said the 2021 cohort alumna.

Grisna is grateful for being a person who always thinks positively and quickly recovers from setbacks. Thus, every problem is an opportunity for her to grow and find new opportunities.

"Thank God, everything went well. This was also thanks to the support of my family and friends who struggled with me in this doctoral program," she added.

Fond of Research

Grisna is known for being productive. During her doctoral studies, she actively conducted research. She produced 41 publication articles, including 26 articles published in Scopus-indexed journals, four articles published in nationally accredited Sinta journals, four articles in Scopus-indexed conference proceedings, and seven book chapters, one of which is Scopus-indexed.

"Of the 41 publications during my Ph.D. studies, 13 were joint publications with my supervisors, including nine articles published in Scopus-indexed journals and four book chapters," she explained.

Grisna admitted that she began to enjoy research during her master's studies. When asked why, she answered there was no particular reason for liking something; she naturally enjoyed researching and writing journal articles. According to her, there are many benefits to engaging in these activities, one of which is developing networks. Additionally, she stated that bonuses and rewards will naturally follow when someone is diligent and consistent in every step taken, especially in research and writing. Grisna emphasized the importance of maintaining integrity and scientific ethics in every study and writing endeavor. Research and writing are about producing quality work, building a reputation, and making meaningful contributions to the academic world and society.

"Fortunately, during my studies, FEB was very supportive and provided many grant and research collaboration opportunities from my supervisors," she added.

To date, Grisna has successfully published over 100 scientific works, including journals, proceedings, and book chapters, with 73 of them published in Scopus-indexed journals.

Grisna is a prime example who has proven that consistency, hard work, and family support can lead to achieving educational dreams. FEB UGM, as an academic institution, is committed to supporting its students in obtaining the best education to nurture future leaders in economics and business with a sustainability perspective.

Reportage: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum 

Sustainable Development Goals