Career summary

Born in Konstanz, Germany, Christian Pareira grew up in Indonesia before travelling to Australia to study at Monash University to study a Bachelor of Arts. Having majored in International Relations and Communications, Christian has gone on to work with the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning. In his current role, Christian is involved with formulating strategic national planning for Indonesia’s foreign policy, starting from planning the budget allocation through to developing the substantial program for the ministry.

Christian has volunteered at the Australia Indonesia Business Forum (AIBF) and interned at the Embassy of Republic of Indonesia in Canberra. He has worked for the not-for-profit Soundsekerta, Monash University and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). While studying, Christian was a part of the Perhimpunan Pelajar Indonesia Australia (PPIA) at Monash, becoming Vice-President at Monash in 2016, where he created events that welcomed Indonesian students to university. Christian credits his experience at Monash for giving him unexpected contacts and the opportunity to work for Monash University as the Alumni Engagement Officer.

Career pathway

2019 - Research Staff, B A P P E N A S (Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning)
2018 - Research Support / Junior Editor, Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia
2018 - Alumni Engagement Officer, Monash University
2017 - Project Manager, Soundsekerta (2016 – 2017)
2017 - Political Function Staff (Intern), Embassy of Republic of Indonesia (Internship)
2017 - Bachelor of Arts (International Relations and Communications), Monash University

Why did you choose to study at Monash?

When I was researching universities in Australia, two things stood out to me about Monash University. I saw that Monash College and Monash University had a pathway where I could study the diploma and then transition into the university, which meant I was able to complete the bachelor’s degree in only three years and a half years. This gave me a head start into my career.

Additionally, Monash is very well known across Indonesia. There are a number of prestigious Indonesians who are Monash alumni, such as the former Vice President Boediono and Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a renowned academic and policy maker, so the university has a great reputation and it means a lot to have a qualification from here because it’s recognised.

Why did you choose to study a Bachelor of Arts?

I liked the flexibility that the Bachelor of Arts offered. We could pick and choose different types of majors, minors and electives. I studied International Relations, Communications, Journalism and Ethics of Global Conflict. The diversity of units that I could mix and match improved my resume and helped me understand topics from different perspectives. That experience has been really beneficial, both personally and professionally.

What was your experience like studying abroad at Monash?

Monash has a great reputation because of the exceptional professors. They were so willing to help that many gave up time outside of their usual office hours. I’ve had consultations with tutors that have lasted more than an hour that were very helpful and developed my perspective in a meaningful way.

In terms of interesting experiences, I fondly remember playing soccer on the pitch at the Clayton campus. We’d be playing five versus five and everyone on the field would be from a different background. It was such a fascinating diverse melting pot of cultures. There is nowhere other than Monash where I could have met so many people from different backgrounds and learnt from under such great professors.

What experiences did you have with clubs & societies at Monash?

I enjoyed my time organising activities with the Perhimpunan Pelajar Indonesia Australia (PPIA) club at Monash. PPIA is a national society of Indonesian students, and I was in the Monash chapter as their Vice-President.

We arranged a lot of activities and events by ourselves, but also had support from universities and the Indonesian Consulate General in Melbourne when we ran larger community events. The club aimed to welcome new students to campus; assisted Indonesian students who were settling in and we held social events and celebrated Indonesian culture, introducing many people to the Indonesian culture and perspective. It was a great way to meet other international students as well as for Indonesian students to meet ‘the locals’ and introduced me to project and event management.

I also got involved with the Monash Boardriders Club and joined the Society of Arts Students, so I was able to meet a lot of different people at Monash and also keep a busy social community while living in Australia.

What does your role at the Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning entail?

The Indonesian Ministry of National Development Planning formulates the Strategic National Planning in all aspects of the Ministry. I am involved in the international politics, at the Directorate of International Politics and International Development Cooperation. I work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Treasury to formulate foreign policy strategy and allocate the budgets. So for example, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Treasury, to review current budgets and re-allocate a special emergency COVID budget.

How do you feel that your Bachelor has helped you with your current job?

It gave me the theoretical background of how foreign policy works and the interconnection between government and the private sector. It provided me with the analytic framework of how foreign policy should be made. The education I received at Monash is directly applicable to my job, so it has served as an invaluable experience getting me to where I am now.

Apart from the theory and knowledge I gained from my studies, it was also the experience and networks I was able to gain through the university. I met so many people through the clubs and was also able to gain some work while I studied. This was beneficial to me when I returned to Indonesia.

Travelling abroad to study is not always easy, but the culture of Monash prepared me really well. The students are ambitious and dedicated, and being around people with that attitude while I studied has helped build me into a better person.

Do you have any advice for students who want to work in your field?

International Relations is quite a niche field: you'll love it or hate it. If you love it, you have a good chance of succeeding. It’s a career that develops over time for those who love it and persist. If you do that, you will find it really rewarding because you get to do something you love.

Any kind of internship is valuable as is having work experience abroad, especially in Australia. If you have the opportunity to do an internship in Australia, just do it.

Written by journalism student intern, Cindy Chea, 2021