Crawford School of Public Policy

Naomi Hartanto was an accountant from Jakarta, Indonesia when she came to the Crawford School of Public Policy. Now, she graduates with a Master of Public Policy, a passion for gender policy, and a determination to make an impact on the world.

“I am not your typical public policy student with a public sector background,” explains Naomi. “I come from accounting, which maybe a CBE degree might fit better but that was never the goal. My goal is to be knowledgeable in both finance and policy. It was a big career change to take this degree but Crawford is one of the best public policy schools in the world, and the number 1* in Australia which gave me a great foundation to dive deeper into the industry.”

Naomi’s studies at Crawford have helped her to find her passion and build the skills to pursue it. When she started, she thought she would just focus on economic policy. However, she explains, “almost 80% of my essays have been based on gender and women studies in Indonesia. It has become something I’m very passionate about, learning about the theories, the bigger debate around it, and how it can be implemented in Indonesia.”

Coming from a number background, Naomi has gained new perspective and come to embrace people-centred policy. Her new approach is : “Tailor everything to the people, talk to the people, and ensure that all the boxes have been ticked.” By learning this at Crawford, she told us, has allowed her to think more critically about issues.

A highlight of her time here developing networks across the Crawford School and having access to world-class internships. She took part in a research internship at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership where she says “It provided me a learning experience on how to implement gender in various projects and to see it from different perspectives.”

While moving away from home has been challenge, Naomi has thrived on the sense of community she has found. “The Indonesian community here is very tight knit and influential to me, I think that really helped to survive my time in Crawford. But aside from the Indonesian community, there is such a diverse cohort in Crawford which made it easy to connect with peers from all over the world.”

She also was able to develop a life changing professional network at Crawford. . “It was an honour to be the Student Representative for the Policy and Governance (POGO) cohort from 2022-2023 and this built my network greatly. I have been able to connect with so many influential individuals, and it has been such an awarding experience to learn from them. It has opened so many doors.”

Naomi is excited to take the knowledge, skills and connections she has gained back to Indonesia, and eventually across the world. “The dream job is to work for the World Bank, but wherever life takes me that can achieve that goal of making an impact – that is the ultimate career aspiration.”

From all of us at Crawford: Congratulations, Naomi!

*QS World Rankings 2023