From student to guest lecturer: Aris Mali comes full circle at Crawford
Six months after Aris Mali graduated from the Crawford School of Public Policy, he stepped back into the classroom as a guest lecturer.
Associate Professor Bec Colvin requested his expertise in her course, Communicating for Environment and Climate Policy (EMDV8007), after seeing his work as a student.
“It was such a privilege to have Aris in the course, he brought such a special combination of wisdom and curiosity. Aris demonstrated a real gift for making sense of the complex world through theory, and communicating that insight in a clear and engaging way,” Associate Professor Colvin says.
“After having the opportunity to learn from his research project analysing discourses about geothermal energy in Ende, I knew his perspectives would bring such value to students navigating the ideas he had grappled so well. I am so thankful for his generosity in returning to the class a year later as a guest speaker,” she added.
I never expected that my research project about Geothermal development in Ende that intersects with Ecological Conversion value in Pope Franci’s Encyclical, Laudato Si’ would be an essential element in the environmental governance debate, particularly in EMDV8007,” Aris says.
I feel so proud to be an Indonesian student from a remote area who has the opportunity to share my research experience and contribute valuable knowledge to other students, especially from Indonesia.”
The Crawford classroom was a far cry from where Aris grew up—in Ende Regency on a remote island in East Nusa Tenggara Province in Indonesia.
“I realise that in Ende poverty issues remain contested because efforts to improve economic development often fails to address environmental protection for sustainable development, which considers marginalised communities at the forefront of the development,” he explains.
That realisation led Aris to specialise in Environment and Public Policy when he studied a Master of Public Policy at Crawford. He chose Crawford because it’s the leading institution in public policy with a strong focus on Southeast Asia development, hoping to bring knowledge back home and improve his community.
“Environmental and sustainability issues are messy and complex,” he says, “They intersect with human dimensions ranging from politics, economy, social, culture, gender, and religion – all needing both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches.
For Aris, addressing those issues requires the combination of scientific and local knowledge to provide more contextual solutions. Aris is hoping this will = “create and advocate for a more just green energy transition that accommodates diverse knowledges from researchers, activists, expertise, policy makers, and particularly marginalized communities,” he says.
Therefore, Aris hopes he can assist the local government by applying the skills he gained at Crawford in practice to achieve that goal.
Aris was supported in studies at Crawford by the Indonesian Endowment Fund Scholarship (LPDP), which enables people from underdeveloped and remote areas to study in top universities in the world in order to enhance human capital development for Indonesia.
“Crawford provided me with practical skills and knowledge through a collaborative teaching and learning environment between practitioners, academia, and policy makers that discuss real world problems to find a more contextual approach for the issues.”
One way Crawford lecturers do this is by engaging students to analyse issues beyond the course materials, and bring in guest lecturers from diverse backgrounds including the public sector, Non-Government Organisations and activists to create a deliberative academic environment as well as flexible earning experience in online or offline model.
Aris never thought that he’d be one of the guest lecturers presenting his research project in the classroom. But now, he is sharing the perspective he developed at Crawford with the next generation of students.
“I want them to realise that communicating for environment and climate policy is always closely linked to discourse as a story behind the scenes, a debate beneath the surface, and a voice beyond technical aspects,” he says.
Aris now works as a civil servant back in Ende where he wants to create an opportunity to contribute to create sustainable solutions that address environmental challenges while improving community well-being.
He hopes that other people will consider studying at Crawford for its supportive environment, valuable knowledge and meaningful connections they can make along the way.
“The more effort you put into your studies and connections with others, the more rewarding your experience at Crawford will be,” he says.
Aris we are delighted to call you a Crawford alum and are looking forward to seeing you back on campus, or virtually in a classroom again soon.