NCU Indonesian Alumni Club
Lalu Ary Kurniawan Hardi
The best graduate of the Faculty of Political Science and Security (International Politics and Diplomacy programme)
Originally from Indonesia, pursued his study in International Politics and Diplomacy program under the full-time scholarship scheme and cooperation of West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government, Indonesia, and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun. His master thesis titled "The Conduct of Counterinsurgency and Its Consequences for Human Rights (A Case Study of West Papua)" was successfully defended under the supervision of dr hab. Michał Balcerzak, prof. UMK. He managed to earn an excellent master's degree with a perfect GPA of 5.0/5.0. His dedication was recognized when he received the prestigious title of "Best Student of the Faculty of Political Science and Security Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University 2021/2022." On the other hand, his studies at the Faculty of Political Science and Security Studies enabled his comprehensive intellectual growth, including a significant expansion of knowledge, honing research skills, and personal development. His intellectual growth resulted in scholarships and research grants, such as: (1) the 5th Batch of West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government Scholarship; (2) and UMK Rector's Scholarship for the academic year of 2022/2023 which both funded his full-time study in WNoPiB UMK; (3) The NCN SONATA17 Research Grants for his participation as the research assistant in the Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences (ISP PAN) for a project titled "Reagując na (de)demokratyzację w #ASEAN: strategie organizacji społeczeństwa,"; (4) The 6th Edition of Grants4NCUStudents which fund his project titled " The United States’ Government Securitization of Semiconductor Industry Through Chip Ban on China".
Mr. Hardi also held professional positions, including a Research Assistant role at the Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences (ISP PAN), where he contributed to research on democracy and civil society organization strategies in ASEAN countries. Additionally, he once worked as a co-researcher in Center for Security and Welfare Studies (CSWS), Surabaya, Indonesia, where he conducted a research about the social capital of coastal communities in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia. His academic journey in UMK also involved significant research contributions, including publications in prestigious journals and presentations at international conferences. His research covered topics such as environmental justice advocacy, the relationship between state agencies and media, and the development of social and political movements in Indonesia. During his study in UMK, he has published four scientific articles in Indonesia's nationally-accredited journals, wrote and published one book chapter about the conduct of national election in Indonesia, and has presented over three presentations in several international conferences such as the Visegrad Group Neighborhood Dialogue and International Conference, which held by Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Budapest, Hungary; and the 10th International Asian Congress in Torun where he took part as both moderator of the panel and the oral presenter.
Apart from academic achievements, Mr. Hardi actively participated in various academic and volunteer activities. He was among the 25 students and PhD students which chosen out of the 2800 applicants that attended the Complexity International Summer School II: Development and Challenges in Complex World, held by Centre of International Security and Development (CISAD), Uniwersytet Jagielloński; Participated in the International Summer Camp of NCU "Let’s Meet at NCU! – Grow at Copernicus"; He also took part as a full-time volunteer at the 3rd European Games Kraków- Małopolska 2023; and has been actively invited as the adjudicator for numerous university's national parliamentary debating competitions in Indonesia. Furthermore, he engaged in volunteering efforts to raise awareness about environmental protection and promoting Indonesian culture by becoming an active local NGO member named Verda Fundacja. His accomplishments have garnered attention in Indonesia, where he has been featured in more than fifteen national news articles. He was critically acclaimed as one of the inspirational youth by Indonesian media and uses this media exposure to promote Polish higher education and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Indonesia. Currently, apart from continuing his work as a research assistant in ISP PAN, he also gearing up to apply for another Indonesian governmental scholarship to pursue his PhD in political science, in Australian University.