Professor Dian Ratna Sawitri

Professor Dian Ratna Sawitri’s interest in psychology began with confusion she faced during high school. “I found it difficult to decide on a career because I had a lack of information and role models. I was good at physics and mathematics, but I didn’t like those areas, and I did not know what to do as my parents expected me to obtain excellent grades,” she explains.

Many problems in her native home of Indonesia are based on differences between parent expectations and adolescent performance. Through her studies, Witri discovered many other young people in Indonesia were facing similar struggles as she once had. “This led me to choose educational psychology as a way of addressing those important decision-making issues. I am particularly interested in how young adults make their career choices, and looking at the influence culture has on how they make choices.”

Throughout her career so far, Witri has made significant contributions to the academic community and has been a role model for her students and colleagues. Her commitment to the betterment of others now sees her as the recipient of a Griffith University Outstanding International Alumnus Award for Griffith Health.

“I am so excited and truly humbled,” she says of her success. “I know that hundreds of thousands of people have gone through Griffith University, and I think that many of those would be worthy.”

During her PhD at Griffith University, Witri’s research focused on the effects of parental influences on Indonesian adolescents' career aspirations and action behaviours in a collectivist cultural setting. She created the Adolescent-Parent Career Congruence Scale, which helps measure adolescents’ perceived parental influence and ascertain whether it aligns with their child’s career aspirations, values and interests, and is a significant contribution to the field of career development.

Her research has been published in several high-impact journals and has been cited extensively by scholars in the field. Witri’s dedication to teaching and research is evident in her work at the Universitas Diponegoro, where she is a Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Psychology.

She is passionate about creating capacity development programs for students and lecturers and has been successful in strengthening connections with alumni.

“My research goal is to help adolescents, especially those from collectivistic cultural contexts, such as Indonesia, to learn to make career choices harmoniously and optimise parental roles to help the children make their career decisions properly,” she says.

Moreover, she also has conducted community services to support parents so that they can be aware of the effects of their career expectations for their children and develop a realistic understanding of their children’s career-related capacities, as well as determine the type and level of support they might give to their children.

Witri has spent her career determined to make an impact and use her skills to help others advocate for themselves and strive for greatness. She has created several programs for undergraduate students to boost their career development and transition to the world of work and developed several programs for academics to build their career trajectories.

“I am proud of applying my research to the community and having the opportunity to give back to people,” Witri says.

When it comes to the future, Witri is eager to bring greater attention to her findings and foster further research into career development areas. “I hope to work with experts from around the world and Griffith’s alumni to establish a research consortium in career areas in 2024,” she says.

With the current and looming economic challenges the world, and specifically Indonesia, is facing, Witri says, “It is important for the youths to build their vocational identity. If they keep doing what they love, they will become an expert in that field.”

“Therefore, continuing research studies and synergic collaboration between academics, business, community, and government need to develop,” and Witri is determined to lead the charge.