UNAIR NEWS – The UNAIR International Relationship students continue to seek opportunities to travel around the world, including I Ketut Gede Laksamana Gunarsa (Laks) who is currently taking an internship program in the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) for Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.
In an online interview with UNAIR NEWS, Laks stated that the internship program will run for three months, from July 12 to October. The internship is a part of his community service program (KKN) and it supports his thesis research.
“My thesis focuses on the water conflict between Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. My colleague, a local Tajikistan who works at the KBRI, frequently deals in water conflicts directly. He explained the details of the conflict and the reason behind geopolitical clashes,” he said.
Laks has a varied job description. Currently, he works in the economic division. The International Relations student finds news and updates on the economy of Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. For instance, the currency issues, state investment, economic development, or other matters related to the two countries’ economies.
The melophile also creates market intelligence to map the economic market. It helps Indonesian entrepreneurs to start a new business in Kazakhstan. He also participates in meeting between Kazakhs and Indonesian entrepreneurs, which allows him to learn more about the agreement negotiation methods.
Adjusting to the new environment
Laks with the landscape of Kazakhstan in the background. (Photo: I Ketut Gede Laksamana Gunarsa)
Laks did not find it hard to adjust to the time and culture of Kazakhstan, considering it is not really different from other Asian countries. However, he has to deal with the language barriers as Kazakhs rarely speak English. They use Russian instead. Besides, the extremely hot and cold temperatures can be troublesome.
On the other hand, Kazakh cuisine impressed him. The dishes are always full of meat, including beef, mutton, and horse. The country’s landscape varies from the forest and steppe to the unique architecture of urban buildings that makes Laks enjoy exploring the surroundings of Kazakhstan. The people are also really friendly.
He suggested the students who are interested to pursue internship at KBRI should find more information.
“As for me, I wanted to be an intern at KBRI for Kazakhstan. I contacted the officials and they immediately responded to schedule an interview. After that, we need to prepare the required documents, including the travel documents. If you really want to be an intern at KBRI, take more initiative to contact them,” Laks suggested.
Author: Deanita Nurkhalisa
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
