IMICS Alumni Interview_ Jeffry Oktavianus

Jeffry Oktavianus, an outstanding IMICS alumnus who is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Communication Research, City University of Hong Kong, will soon start working as an assistant professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Since 2010, he has continued on his communication path, and today he is a highly qualified and professional researcher, educator, and social scientist. In addition to his academic achievements, he also has extensive experience working as a reporter and an account executive at a media group located in Indonesia.

During the online interview we did with Jeffry, he mentioned how IMICS has broadened his horizons and provided him with the opportunity to build his global network. Because of the ​​culturally-rich environment IMICS provides, he was able to learn from people with different backgrounds and built his connections internationally.

When asked to name a memorable experience from his time as a student in IMICS, Jeffry cited the time he spent writing his thesis. “Even though it was tough and challenging, I am very appreciative to Trisha Lin, my advisor, for her patience and encouragement as I wrote my thesis, which made me believe that conducting research is not as intimidating.” As a senior, Jeffry also offers some helpful advice to juniors, such as focusing on improving interpersonal skills and participating in a variety of activities to expand their personal network. By doing this, more opportunities will present themselves.

In terms of the research interest, Jeffry's research focuses on examining how digital media can be utilized to empower individuals and communities, particularly to address emerging and pervasive problems like health disparities and online misinformation as well as to facilitate social activism or public campaigns. In response to a question about how to combat misinformation and disinformation, Jeffry advised people to check their information with reliable sources and not be afraid to make any necessary social corrections. Everyone can contribute to mitigating the spread of misinformation and disinformation.

We are very proud and thrilled to witness how well our IMICS students perform in the fields they are passionate about. IMICS will always be supportive and provide the resources our students need. We look forward to seeing more and more students accomplish their goals in the future.