PhD 2006
Agusman is an Executive Director at Bank Indonesia, the Republic of Indonesia’s central bank. He started work with Bank Indonesia in 1992, when he was employed as a bank examiner. In the wake of the 1997/1998 Asian Financial Crisis, Agusman was assigned to work as a bank oversight at the Indonesian Banking Restructuring Agency. Since gaining his PhD from ANU in 2006, Agusman has spent most of his time in Bank Indonesia’s financial stability wing. He served as the bank’s spokesperson between 2017 and 2019. Agusman is also a part-time lecturer at private universities and a researcher in banking and finance.
Here are Agusman’s responses to some questions that may interest you.
In which School did you complete your PhD?
I obtained my PhD in Commerce in 2006 from what is now known as the Research School of Accounting. My thesis was entitled "An Empirical Examination of Bank Risk Taking - Asian Evidence".
Why did you choose to work in the banking industry over academia?
Working in the banking industry, particularly in Indonesia’s the central bank, was my dream since l was a kid. Nevertheless, I am also working as a part-time lecturer at private universities and researcher in banking and finance. My academic papers are published in outlets including Journal of Banking & Finance, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, and Research in International Business and Finance.
What career opportunities are available in the banking industry for PhD graduates?
The opportunities include working as an economist, analyst, modeller, or risk manager.
What qualities are the banking industry looking for when hiring talents with or without a PhD?
In general, the banking industry is looking for people who love working with numbers, have integrity, pay attention to detail, and are focused and target oriented.
What would be your advice to our current PhD/MPhil candidates, who may be early in their candidature or close to completion, to prepare for a potential career in industry?
Prepare to work hard and start to build networks within the industry.