Putra Adhiguna

Putra is an Energy, Economics and Policy Specialist for the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

Why would a person with a business background and an engineering degree learn philosophy, politics and all the seemingly abstract strands of social science? In short, curiosity. It was what eventually led me to LSE, the home of social sciences.

I had spent more than fifteen years in the energy sector and decided to take some steps back to better understand the changing world and the underlying dynamics of the society. While business schools seemed the natural path, I took a sidestep and it was a decision which I did not regret. I approached the public policy world to better understand how the world really works. In a changing time in the energy sector, diving into a world full of social sciences helped to ground my view on the intricacies beyond the technicalities and business perspectives.

I still recall vividly the first day meeting the MPP cohort. A class full of diverse minds - with lawyers, politicians, and economists - and a melting pot of perspectives. I knew then that this was going to be a fun ride. Access to the faculty members was outstanding throughout the programme, often supplemented with post-class discussion session. I particularly enjoy having our evening sessions where member of the MPP class share the world through their lenses: from the Chilean political movements and developments in Panama to the corners of Southeast Asia.

Having my wife accompanying my studying has been a very rewarding experience for both of us. Taking your family along in your study can at times be challenging for time-management, but the experience will certainly be memorable in a city like London.

I have never read so many publications in my life than I did throughout the nine-month programme: from tax evasion and election systems to the philosophical debates in healthcare. Learning vastly different subjects at a quick pace is both challenging and rewarding. My experience at the SPP has made me more disciplined in approaching a subject, and more attentive toward the underlying philosophical ground of my counterparts. It has helped me to see things which were previously hidden in abstraction.

Toward the end of my times in SPP I probably had more questions than I had answers. But it was exactly what I needed. Is the world not for us to ponder upon? Or as the LSE parlance goes, ‘rerum cognoscere causas’. Soon after MPP I joined a non-profit independent think tank in the energy sector, exposing me to the various aspects energy policies, economics and finance in a climate-conscious world.

The faculty members were extraordinary, but personally, the learning experience has really been topped off by learning from each other. Over lunch, over coffee, inside and outside the class, the learning process never stops. The MPP is a very well-rounded programme. It was a melting pot of thoughts, and a programme which can help you prepare your future in uncharted territories.

Putra is happy to connect on LinkedIn.