Muhamad Ikhlasul Amal GLIK Spring 2018 Researcher at Research Center for Metallurgy and Materials, Indonesian Institute of Sciences Leadership is a Journey of Constant Self-Improvement M. Ikhlasul Amal obtained his Ph. D degree in Material Science and Engineering from Yeungnam University, South Korea, M.Sc in Material Science from University of Indonesia, and B. Sc in Chemistry in Bandung Institute of Technology. He was a post-doctoral researcher in Yeungnam University before returned to his home country and was appointed as a Dean of Faculty of Engineering at Sumbawa University of Technology for a short term. Currently he is working as a researcher in Research Center for Metallurgy and Material, Indonesian Institute of Sciences. His field is advanced materials and nanotechnology. Dr. Amal is active in writing both national and international academic publications as well as become a speaker in national and international events. He is an ad-interim member in ASEAN Young Scientists network and ASEAN Science Diplomats 2019, ASEAN Science & Technology Fellow (2019/2020) in addition to several scientific community members such as Indonesian Society for Nano and Material Research Society – Indonesia. He is also an expert assistant for Advanced Materials Technical Commission, National Research Council. Social Issue Theme(s) Goal 4: Quality Education Goal 9: Industry, Innovation, & Infrastructure Career I am working as researcher at Research Center for Metallurgy and Materials, Indonesian Institute of Sciences. My research field is related to the nanomaterial synthesis and its application. My routines are dominantly research and preparing science and technology policy statement/recommendation. As a part of scientific communities, I have a position as one of chairman in Indonesian Society for Nano (nano.or.id). We have been a consultative partner of (nano)technology development policy for many government bodies such as Ministry of Research Technology and Higher Education, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Agriculture, National Standardization Body, Provincial government etc. Our main objective is to increase public awareness of nanotechnology through socialization (giving lectures, holding seminars, media promotion, etc), supporting technological advancement for industry, policy paper recommendation, curriculum preparation and building networking between researchers. Related to education, I was appointed as team leader to prepare nanotechnology curriculum for a high school, aside from actively giving lecture and speech in universities. I also have been a resource person for Ministry of Education and Culture related to nanotechnology field in many occasions. I am also get involved in a Start-up Company based on research results. Through a research foundation called Nanocenter (center.nano.or.id), I and my colleagues established a platform for incubation process of research products. Some of our activities are developing unsophisticated and applicable technology to support small-medium entrepreneurship. We hope we can inspire a success story in social innovation that helps us to build sustain technopreneurship which gives economic impact. I am also active in scientific community both domestic and regional. For instance, I am one of Indonesian representative in ASEAN Young Scientists Network, a platform for young scientists in region to share contribution beyond country’s border. Achievements 2019/20 – ASEAN Science & Technology Fellow 2019 – ASEAN Outstanding Science Diplomat 2018 – Fujitsu-JAIMS Global Leaders for Innovation and Knowledge Fellow 2017/18 – ASEAN Science Leadership Fellow 2016 – NRF Korean – Indonesian Researcher Exchange 2016 – Immersion Program of Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education 2015 – 108 Innovator Indonesia Publications 49 International Publications 10 National Publications 2 Books 12 Patents For further detail please visit Google Scholar Citation indices: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Dp4plYQAAAAJ Scopus ID: 55351328000 Capstone Project at JAIMS / Current Project(s) My project is about education. I am currently advising a Start-up Company for education of technology, called Nanoedu (edu.nano.or.id). In a country with low interest in science, we try to provide alternative approach to educate society in term of science, technology, and innovation. We aim to increase the awareness of society for the importance to develop skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning. Quality education will lead to empowering people and thus improving the economy of the nation. Interview -Introduction Having completed the Spring 2018 Global Leaders for Innovation and Knowledge program, Dr. Muhamad Ikhlasul Amal is now primarily employed as a researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences’ Research Center for Metallurgy and Materials. Committed to the concept of knowledge creation, Amal and his colleagues at a start-up called Nanocenter established a platform for the incubation process of research products to support entrepreneurship. In addition to his professional activities, Amal is also an advisor to Nanoedu, another start-up which works with high schools to develop students’ skills such as critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. ―How did your stance on leadership change after completing the Global Leaders for Innovation and Knowledge program? Before the program I really had no idea about how to define the term “leader.” In my prior education I didn’t learn about philosophy or think about the true meaning of leadership. Among the government institutions here in Indonesia, leadership is merely about how you manage the work, the structural coordination; it’s not about inspiring others or trying to motivate them. I couldn’t distinguish between simply management and true leadership, but now I know that these are two different things. Needless to say, going into the program I had a very limited mindset. The program taught me the right mentality of a leader, that leadership is not about distributing work, but how you improve yourself while trying to inspire and lead others. We were given many real-world examples from which we could draw inspiration. In Singapore, past prime ministers like Lee Kuan Yew illustrated that a leadership mentality encompasses the courage to make the right decisions and gain trust to lead others. You have to walk the talk, and that is very difficult, especially when you yourself might not have enough confidence. ―What type of leader would you like to become in the future? In the future I hope to become a transformational leader with the ability to inspire people. It’s important to understand how to use different types of leadership wisely at different times. Perhaps I am comfortable with one dominant type of leadership, but I have to try and develop the skills to handle different kinds of situations. The objective of this kind of leadership is not just to change yourself but to change those around you as well. ―What are your major takeaways from the program and how are they helping you now in your day-to-day working life? A major takeaway for me that I always remember is “knowledge creation.” This concept is based on an understanding that we have to improve ourselves all the time, and use that knowledge to serve and lead people. Taking the idea of knowledge creation and knowledge sharing to heart, my friends and I established the start-up Nanocenter to act as a catalyst for innovation. Through this I hope to disseminate knowledge and experience to budding entrepreneurs in Indonesia. The program also helped me appreciate diversity, as we encountered people from many different backgrounds. The program itself even took place across different countries besides Japan including the US, Thailand and Singapore, so that was a very valuable experience to develop more of an open mind. Finally, I would say that the program not only changed my mindset but my attitude towards professionalism. People in Japan are very disciplined in their work and I found that diligence to one’s duties inspiring. ―How would you describe the Global Leaders for Innovation and Knowledge program in a single word? Awakening. When I looked at the syllabus for the first time, I noticed that we would be studying aspects of finance and management, among other subjects, which I was already familiar with. Initially, I doubted that there would be anything really new– these were subjects I could learn elsewhere. However, the awakening for me came about through the experience of working with so many others. We had to practice teamwork and collaboration, and try to be as creative as possible. Consequently, we all developed strong bonds with our fellow classmates. The awakening was also evident in how we had to open ourselves to others before opening our mind to learning. We learned to respect and accept others, and be open to exchanging ideas. We had to develop intellectual humility before we could grasp the ideas of the program and let them influence us. I’ve attended other workshops and seminars since then, but they just didn’t compare with this program. ―What are your future goals? My primary work is in academia, and I hope that I can improve my standing as a researcher in the future. My focus at the moment is on gaining a position as a professor, which I hope to achieve in the near future. If life provides me with an opportunity to excel in my career, I hope I can benefit others and make a positive impact on them. In Indonesia, there are few success stories for how academics or scientists can contribute to society through their research. We haven’t been that innovative as a country, partly due to our abundance of and reliance on natural resources. In my opinion we haven’t seen the kind of true innovation through technology and science that there has been in Japan, Korea, and Singapore, for example. ―What type of leadership do you think will be need in the post-coronavirus era? The current pandemic has really demonstrated to me that the best type of leader is one who can calmly guide people, but is also decisive and firm. Politicians, for example, often think about their own political positions and end up trying to compromise between what people want and what should be done. ―Do you have any message to others interested in applying to the program? My message to others is, just go for it! The program is really hard to describe succinctly, but I can say that it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience and definitely a life-changing one at that. You cannot have this sort of experience in other programs. It’s very different and unique in terms of the people you are going to meet and the places you visit, not to mention the curriculum that you will study. -Summaries 1. Summary of what was learned, changes in leadership The program really changed my mindset about leadership; before I used to think it was merely about managing work but now I realize it’s about inspiring others and trying to motivate them. I now try to develop my own leadership skills based on respect for other people and gaining their trust. A key takeaway from the program was the concept of knowledge creation, 2. Scenes or situations to apply what was learned on the program I try to share about this new concept of leadership with my colleagues. I’m also applying the concept of knowledge creation in startups that help disseminate scientific knowledge and experience. 3. One-sentence summary of the Global Leaders for Innovation and Knowledge The program is really an awakening – I was surprised at just how unique the experience was, and how it changed my mindset toward leadership. Back to Index