Prof. Nelly van Doorn-Harder: We Should Not Let the Critics Discourage Us
July 05, 2024
Contributor: Supriyono | Editor: Dadi Darmadi
Professor Nelly van Doorn-Harder, an expert in religious studies from Wake Forest University, North Carolina, USA, delivered a keynote speech during the 2nd Graduate Forum at the UIII Faculty of Education (FoE) on July 4, 2024, during which she encouraged UIII students to not afraid of critique when writing scientific works.
“If you write, it’s not the critique that counts. It’s not the man who points out where the strong person stumbles or where the doers of deeds could have done it better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually there in the area,” Professor van Doorn-Harder explained.
She explained that academia is all about conversation and dialogue, thereby criticism is an inseparable part of it. “You participate and contribute one little piece, and if someone says your piece is wrong, that’s totally okay. You know that there are some scholars who spend their lifetime on things that are totally wrong.”
Professor van Doorn-Harder emphasized that the point of critics in academia is to give us room for improvement, and we should not let the critics discourage us but instead, motivate us to further flourish in our scholarly journey. “It’s not about winning, not about losing. But it is about showing up and being seen,” she noted.
As UIII focuses on international graduate education, one of its main objectives is to prepare its students to be competent scholars in their respective fields. We currently offer master’s and PhD programs in a range of fields namely Islamic Studies, Political Science and public policy, economics and sustainable finance, and education. UIII has the mission to provide an inclusive international education aimed at empowering communities and fostering global outreach.