Ms. Affi Nur Hidayah began her professional journey after graduating from the Department of Physics at FSM UNDIP in 2009. Initially, she planned to continue her Master’s studies. However, she faced challenges due to her limited English proficiency, which led her to enrol in a language program at Kampung Inggris in Pare. Along the way, she had the opportunity to take part in the civil servant selection process at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), which ultimately led her to become a researcher there.
For the next seven years, Ms. Affi balanced life as a working mother while pursuing both her Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Physics. In 2024, her perseverance paid off when she completed her Ph.D. program. Today, she contributes as a Senior Researcher at the Photonics Research Center under the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), focusing on producing scientific work and research that benefits the people of Indonesia.
During her time at FSM UNDIP, Ms. Affi received a strong foundation in fundamental physics, which was crucial for advancing in her research field. Moreover, her organizational experiences and time-management skills, developed during her university years, helped shape her discipline and management capabilities—key traits in balancing her roles as a researcher and working mother. Among her notable achievements are completing her Doctorate in Physics in 2024 and successfully managing her research duties, family responsibilities, and graduate studies simultaneously.
Ms. Affi emphasizes the importance of not limiting oneself when it comes to learning new things during youth, as these challenges will shape a stronger and better version of oneself. Her message to FSM UNDIP students is to remain enthusiastic about learning, actively participate in student organizations, and continually expand their networks, while maintaining a healthy balance between academics and other activities.