Turnitin Artikel Our Unique Journey in Pursuit of a PhD

The Aceh government is committed to rebuilding Aceh (Indonesia) post the tsunami, and sending students to study overseas is one of many initiatives to enhance the quality of human resources in the province following the tragedy. This paper illustrates the journey of two students from Aceh who are undertaking their PhD at Flinders University where their decision to study differed from the reasons students might typically have to pursue the PhD degree. As do others who are chosen by the government, the students have responsibility to accomplish that specific mandate. The government and the people in Aceh anticipate the new ideas, novel concepts and ways of empowering the province that the students will bring back to their province upon the completion of their study. Pursuing a higher degree, particularly overseas, is seen as blessing for many people including the students. Meeting new people and experiencing a new study and research environment always brings added value for them. As well as cultural considerations, undertaking a PhD also involves professional and personal issues. Shifting roles from professional teachers to become postgraduate students is part of the process of undertaking the degree, and this brings with it a number of challenges. As international students, these challenges encompass cultural, along with language adjustments and academic barriers, in addition to family issues. This paper employs a selfͲnarrative study approach to report the PhD journey of the two students. This journey is examined from three dimensions: cultural, professional and personal