Alvin

Alvin HARJANTO
蔡尚辉
Engineering Student Ambassador, 2019-20
Class of 2022,
BEng in Computer Science
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Jakarta, Indonesia
SMAK IPEKA Puri (High School), Indonesia

Haloo, nama gw Alvin dari Indonesia!
Never have I ever thought in my life that I would be here in Hong Kong, studying Computer Science at HKUST. But I guess that is how life goes, utterly unexpected, for you will never know what is coming for you. 

I have always been a visual arts enthusiast, everything visual art you can think of: film, photography, design and animation were basically a major pursuit to me. Becoming a film director is even still part of my ultimate vision. So then, you may naturally ask, why am I here? To be brutally honest, I’m also still in the process of figuring it out, in fact, I’ll be too proud to say I’ve figured it all out. I believe it all comes down to purpose as I always believed mine was to make a difference in people’s lives, to simply be a blessing, as I have always genuinely enjoyed interacting with people and listening to their stories. 

So then, another question arises, where does engineering play a part in this? I personally view it as a journey and platform for me to develop myself and create impact. Sounds too vague? Maybe. But to me, engineering is not just a major, it is the spirit and mentality to solve problems we encounter intelligently. No matter what field we enter into, the engineering spirit will be in great demand and prevail. Yes, some people were ‘born’ to be so-called engineering geniuses, I’ve always known I wasn’t one of them, one who can generate formulas on the top of their head. Nevertheless, I believe there is always a tailored career path for everyone. No one’s less smart, or inferior, just meant to do different things. If life then takes us on another direction, what can we do but trust and have faith? So to you fellow engineers who do not feel at home, do not worry, we’ll fight together.

If you happen to have a similar interest in computer science, filmmaking, or simply have questions, feel free to contact me or find me on campus. I’ll be really grateful to know you. Mantabb!