Arndt-Corden Department of Economics

Working as an electrical engineer, Rezky Zain became concerned about the energy industry’s over dependence on fossil fuels. This inspired him to make the switch to study at Crawford School to help create a cleaner energy future.

Before enrolling in the Master of Environmental and Resource Economics, Rezky completed a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia and worked for seven years, contributing to developing new and renewable power generation.

Working in the engineering field, Rezky concluded that energy transition away from fossil fuels to renewables needed to be supported through well-informed economic policies.

“This ultimately led me to further my knowledge with a program that can offer rigorous economic training with a strong policy context, hosted by one of the world’s most prominent public policy schools. This program complements my engineering background in tackling the issues of energy transition and climate change mitigation,” he said.

In particular, Rezky enjoyed IDEC8053 Environmental Economics convened by Professor Paul Burke as well as IDEC8127 Modelling the Global Economy convened by Professor Warwick McKibbin.

“With his unique method, Paul triggers discussions that could not be captured from a textbook and Warwick can help students weave the knowledge acquired beforehand into a coherent understanding of the world economy,” Rezky said.

Rezky spent the first year of the program in Indonesia, where he studied full-time online. He thought the transition to online learning was smooth, supported by experienced conveners and a well built learning infrastructure.

“With this online modality, I felt engaged with academia, and the distance did not deprive me of getting the most out of the learning experience,” he said.

In fact, Rezky is this year’s award winner for the Helen Hughes Master Degree Prize. The prize is awarded to the student in that graduating class who completed the Master of International and Development Economics or the Master of Environmental and Resource Economics with the best overall aggregate results.

After the first year of study, Rezky moved to Canberra and enjoyed participating in person with his peers.

“I am fortunate to be able to complete the degree in Canberra and experience firsthand the academic discourse at Crawford. Overall, the learning experience at Crawford was terrific. Leading experts in the fields convene the courses, and helpful staff supported my learning journey’s administrative side,” he said.

Reflecting over his time studying in public policy, Rezky believes that industrial decarbonisation and just energy transition should be major focuses for our region.

“Climate change is a grand challenge in our time. More than 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions are from the energy sector, and the industrial sectors commit the majority. Therefore, decarbonising the industry must be on the agenda of all governments, including Australia,” he said.

Rezky encourages prospective students to take advantage of the unique learning opportunities Crawford has to offer.

“Programs in Crawford are designed with a cross-disciplinary approach where students can take courses from policy architecture to environmental economics,” he said.

“Specifically for the Environmental and Resource Economics program, it is research-focused with a close intersection with policy, providing students with research development skills and applied context on climate and energy policy.”

After graduation, Rezky sees himself on an adventure here in Australia.

“Australia is too beautiful to be missed out on! In the short term, I aim to build my career in climate policy and economics, by exploring options working in multinational development banks and think tanks.” said Rezky.

Equipped with new skills to create a clean energy future, the world and Rezky’s future both look a little brighter.

Crawford School of Public Policy offers an extensive range of specialised Masters and Graduate Certificate programs.