Depok, October 18, 2025 – The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI), through its Public Health Career Talk (PHCT) program, held a talk show titled “From Student Life to Real Life – Find Out How to Kickstart Your Journey in the Public Health World.” The event, attended by 80 undergraduate students of FPH UI, took place onsite at the Auditorium of Building G, 4th Floor, FPH UI. Initiated by the Academic and Professional Department of BEM IM FPH UI 2025, PHCT serves as a platform to provide insights into professional pathways, career readiness, and post-campus life for FPH UI students. It also connects students with FPH alumni who have built careers across various public health sectors.
The event began with opening remarks from Dr. Dien Anshari, S.Sos., M.Si., Ph.D., Manager of Student Affairs at FPH UI, who emphasized the importance of mastering three essential skills for public health professionals. “Students must develop data-based analytical skills to foster scientific thinking, communication skills to articulate analytical insights—especially during thesis writing—and group management skills that strengthen leadership and are applicable across various fields,” said Dr. Dien.
Farah Dyah Ajiningtyas, Project Officer of PHCT 2025, explained that the program aims to facilitate knowledge and experience exchange between students and alumni. “We hope this event becomes a starting point for students to better prepare themselves for the professional world,” she said.
Meanwhile, Heru Komarudin, Vice Chair of the Ikatan Alumni (Iluni) FPH UI, highlighted the importance of connection and collaboration in building a career in public health. “Don’t limit your network to just 300 people around you—expand beyond your circle. Social relations are an investment that will benefit your career in the long run,” said Heru. He also introduced the platform makaraungusalingbantu.com, an Iluni FPH UI initiative designed to strengthen alumni networks through three core pillars: Connect, Collab, and Impact. The platform aims to serve as a space for alumni and students to share opportunities and foster intergenerational connections within the FPH UI community.
The talk show, moderated by Ammara Yudistra Putri, featured three inspiring speakers: Mayfree Shari (News Anchor, CNN Indonesia), Anissa Luthfita (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Officer, Karisma Foundation), and Nurfadilah M. Rajab (Medical Nutrition Science, Danone Indonesia). Each shared their career journeys, challenges, and key lessons learned along the way.
Mayfree shared her story as a student from Bandar Lampung who made FPH UI her first choice. She said that limited facilities outside the Jakarta metropolitan area motivated her to act and create change. “I realized that to make a difference, I needed to be in an environment that fosters curiosity and courage to speak up. That’s how I developed my passion to voice public concerns through media, eventually leading me to become a journalist,” she said.
Anissa, meanwhile, admitted that FPH was initially her last-choice major. However, her active involvement in BEM FPH UI, particularly in the Strategic Studies and Action Division (Kastrat), sparked her interest in social and policy issues. “Through organizational experiences, I learned to understand real-world problems directly from the community, which eventually led me to pursue a career in the NGO sector,” she explained.
Fadilah shared her transition story from a science student who once wanted to study law to discovering her passion for public health’s multidisciplinary nature. “I was uncertain about my direction after graduation, but since I enjoyed research, I chose epidemiology and eventually landed my dream job at Danone. Now, I truly feel I’m living in a career I love,” she said.
The session grew interactive as one student raised concerns about the perception that public health graduates are “jacks of all trades” without a clear specialization. Mayfree responded insightfully, emphasizing that such flexibility is actually an advantage. “We live in a rapidly changing world. The multidisciplinary nature of FPH equips us to adapt across diverse fields—that’s a unique strength,” she said. She also noted that career paths do not always follow a linear trajectory. “Others may move faster, but I bring added value through my understanding of public health issues,” she added.
Through this event, the speakers encouraged students to keep learning, expand their networks, and step beyond their comfort zones. PHCT 2025 is expected to help students better navigate the transition into the professional world while strengthening their identity as adaptive and collaborative public health professionals. (EAR)