The KAIST Herald interviewed KAIST international alumni about their experiences as students in KAIST and how these experiences have helped them in their current careers. This interview series was conducted in collaboration with International Scholar and Student Services (ISSS). 

Please introduce yourself. 

My name is Anggriawan Sugianto, my friends call me Anggri! I’m from Indonesia, and normally I live in Jakarta, but this week is actually a holiday week, so I’m in Bali today. I studied in KAIST from 2013, eight years ago, and I studied Information & Media MBA in the Seoul campus. I think many people don’t know that KAIST has two campuses!

Currently, I work as the co-founder and director of Suitmedia, which is a digital consulting firm based in Indonesia. We help corporate executives in technology innovation through digital product development and digital marketing communication. 

What is your favorite memory in KAIST?

It should all be a good memory, right? I remember the dinner parties with my classmates [eating and drinking] a lot, and we could share our stories. I think it was a good way to get to know our classmates since during the day we [were busy], but over dinner we could share about our families or other stories. Sometimes our professor would join [us for] dinner, especially after the exams. 

Also, [a favorite memory] is working on the case studies that were part of the MBA program. I learnt a lot from my classmates, since [many of us] had working experience before joining KAIST MBA. At that time I learned that sometimes there is no single correct answer, that there can be multiple. Sometimes, I really miss my KAIST life.

What were the challenges you faced while studying in KAIST, and how did you overcome them? 

Well, I think I had two — culture and workload. First, when I joined, there were only two international students in my program: myself, and one Canadian. He had stayed in Korea for a few years and had a family in Korea. I had few Indonesian friends in Seoul and didn’t know the culture well, so they took care of me a lot, which was very helpful.

The second biggest challenge was the workload. Before I studied in KAIST, I did my undergrad in the Technical University of Indonesia, which is similar to KAIST, but not as hard… I also used to work for a Korean company. I knew it would be hard at KAIST but I thought I could handle it, but there were always so many things to do that [I felt] I couldn’t do everything as well as possible. I think almost every day I finished my assignments at 4 a.m., then I had to return to class or give presentations at around 9 or 10 a.m., which was very tiring. I was very stressed out, but my friend told me “Anggri, you don’t have to be perfect; it’s better to just finish.” So I learned that the key to survive is that we don’t need to be perfect all the time — when good enough gets the job done, just go for it!

Did your view of KAIST change from when you were studying in KAIST compared to after you graduated? In what ways? 

Before I joined KAIST, I thought it was a prestigious university; from my undergrad university, only the people who were very smart went to KAIST. But when I joined myself, I realized that people in Korea have very high expectations of KAIST students, which sometimes feels like too much. When I went to restaurants with a KAIST jacket, people would [always comment on it]. I was surprised by this level of reputation. I think this is also why professors have very high expectations for us; we have to do very well and meet their standards. 

After I graduated, I realized that it doesn’t really matter. Maybe [it is] because I don’t work in Korea now, but nobody even really asks about where you studied or which university you came from. People only care about your quality and your relationship with them.

How did you first choose your career? How did KAIST help in your career choices?

KAIST helped me [a lot in deciding] what I wanted to do. My undergrad was in computer science, and after graduation I worked for a Korean company as a software engineer, and then I became the CTO of a digital agency. Back then I was focusing only on the technical side, but I wanted to learn about the business and management side of things. At first I thought I could just learn from books, but [then I found] that KAIST had this MBA program and applied. All of the classes helped me a lot!

After graduation I actually wanted to create a startup in Korea, but I couldn’t find any Korean partners… My classmates wanted to work for big companies, but I wanted to work for [myself]. So I returned to Indonesia and grew my company here.

What classes or activities did you pursue in KAIST that helped you in your career? 

Well, I think almost all the classes were useful. Accounting, finance, e-business, supply chain, marketing… All the classes have been helpful for my career. There were a few special classes I couldn’t join because they were in Korean, unfortunately. Most classes are in English, though!

What advice can you give to current KAIST international students?

First thing — like I said — is that done is better than perfect. At some point, you have to realize that you don’t have to be perfect all the time. Most KAIST students are very hardworking, but if they are all competing for A+, it’s really not good for mental health. Back then there was a trend about men-boong (meaning mental breakdown), and my classmates always talked about feeling that.

Appreciate Korea while you’re there. I miss my friends, the food, and also the seasons! Indonesia is always summer — I miss spring and fall. After the pandemic is over I will return to Korea for vacation.