Long Interview with Graduate Students – International Students ver. Part 1
（修了生ロングインタビュー -留学生バージョン第1弾）
Name: Dwi Ayu Nur Komariyah
Academic background:
August 2017: Completed Diploma at National Health Polytechnic of Surakarta
April 2021: Admission to master’s program at Tokyo Metropolitan University(TMU)
March 2023: Completed master’s program at TMU
Supervisor: Kaoru Inoue
Q1. Why did you choose TMU for your graduate studies?
Studying abroad has been my dream since I was, I think middle schooler. Especially I wanted to experience a new culture and then also want to know how it feels like studying outside of Indonesia and to experience what it feels like to be a student abroad. Because I think in several aspects, I still need a lot more development, I wanted to get more knowledge and want to get more experience as an occupational therapist.
So, I searched for several countries like Australia and then the United States because these countries developed some popular therapy programs. However, I decided to try for the Tokyo Metropolitan University. Because I’m coming from a diploma, so I know this is the only one there. This program can be like a direct diploma master. This is the main reason for the decision.
Q2. Could you briefly tell us about your research topic during your master’s degree?
Research theme “Indonesian Pediatric Occupational Therapists’ Acceptance of Social Robot Use in Therapy: A Mix-method Study”(Supervisor; Kaoru Inoue)
My research investigated the factors that influence the decision to potentially use a social robot in a clinical setting among occupational therapists in Indonesia. Initially, I was considering targeting children, but in the process of organizing my research topic, I decided to organize my study from the perspective of the therapists who make the decision to implement social robots.
In fact, social robots are widely used not only with children but also with the elderly. In Japan, research targeting the elderly with dementia is particularly active. In Indonesia, there are few opportunities to intervene with the elderly, but if social robots are effective in treating major problems in patients’ mental health, such as aggressivity, they can be used in a variety of clinical settings, not only with children.
Q3. Please tell us about one of the most memorable events during your stay in Japan.
I experienced lots of things in Japan that I’m very grateful for. Other than the culture, I also got to try various new activities that I ended up falling in love with. I found a new love for the mountains. Through that, I got to know people from different backgrounds and different countries. I enjoyed the discussion of the many different fields in which we work, even within Japan. In the occupational therapy aspect, the most important part was to learn about the gaps in practice. There are practice settings that OTs in Japan have already been involved in that OTs in Indonesia have not yet experienced largely. It was beneficial for me to know that.
Q4. Where and what kind of activities have you been involved in since obtaining your master’s degree?
Mostly, I work part-time as an occupational therapist at the school. I am handling students from playgroup to middle school. Other than that, I work as a program consultant for a play space in Depok. My role is to oversee their program and activities for their class each week. Moreover, I’m also developing a clinic with my business partners in Jakarta. Since coming back from Japan, I have been planning on exploring more on vocational support center for teenagers. I got to know that the Jakarta area has already done some functional programs, I wonder how they conduct their program. For me personally, I still have a lot to figure out on how to implement this program and what to prepare. Especially as an occupational therapist and our roles within this area. There are still a lot of things that we need to prepare before we can start. Some collaboration with OTs who have been working in this area overseas will be of great value.
