Starting the age 20, I have been trying to keep track on what I have done in the past year, set up new year resolutions, and evaluate them in the next year. For the past two year (2005 & 2006), it did give me many benefits since I could synthesize my goals in SMART way. At some points, I do not put it in too much detail; I would like to avoid unrealistic predictions.

2007, The Year of Catalysts

2007 was really an important year in my life; marking my turn-over with full of surprises even more than what I had expected.

1. Chance to travel around and join course/seminars/workshops. a) Nano BioRAISE Advance Communication Course, Oxford, March 2007 b) European Summer School in Nanomedicine, Cardiff, June 2007 c) Visit Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Goettingen, July 2007 d) Series of lectures/seminars in NIN Amsterdam and MRC Dundee
2. Travel to many other countries: Wales, Scotland, England, Germany
3. Make friends with many new people, creating more network
4. Get more experience in politics/media within scientific community and cross-countries
5. Awarded and appointed to be: a) ECHO Ambassadeur, February 2007 b) HAN Wall of Fame, Augusts 2007
6. Internships: a) February-Augusts 2007 : Netherlands Institute of Neuroscience, Amsterdam b) October 2007 – now : MRC PPU James Black Centre, Dundee
7. Became one of the founding fathers of Indonesian Network for Scientists (Netsains)
8. Extend and follow up projects of “iBiotech“, National Biotech Festival, realization: March 2008
9. Creating online portfolio (this website) with average hits 10.000/day, thanks to David Hartono and Marcellino Santoso
10. More convinced in the role of philosophy and ethics within scientific research and their impact to social paradigm such as Theistic Evolution.

Last but not least, this year I have received big supports from particular people: JC for sure, my family, Audrey Clarissa, Alstair Bharata, Mr. Bob Foster, Kevin Tony Gunawan, Max Elnathan Mandias, Dr. Remko Bosch, and many more that I cannot specify one by one.

Several things that I (kinda) need to improve in 2008.

1. Communication English (writing/presentation) skills

2. Adrenalin and testosteron rush, I need to be more patient and less procastinating

3. Keep in touch with old friends, the busier, less time to get in touch. I have to admit, I have less informal social contacts than in previous years

My Resolutions, The Big Three:

1. Keep within JC, less of me and more of Him

2. Try to simplify my schedule, get more priorities and focus to my study and research, prepare for PhD degree: improve my English and foreign languages, update my lab skills.

3. Expand my network again both in scientific community and outside.

How about your resolutions? Shall we keep reminding each other? I explicitly put my resolutions here so people can be my witness. Let’s keep the good work guys!