Alex Hansel Simanjuntak

Who: Alex Hansel Simanjuntak
What: Bachelor of Communication
When: Graduated 2005
Career/Industry: media

He may have recently graduated from Monash University, but rising star Alex Hansel Simanjuntak is already making his mark in the glamorous and highly competitive Indonesian media scene.

Alex was aged in his early twenties and had just completed his Bachelor of Communication degree when he was appointed Editor in Chief of an entertainment, culture and lifestyle magazine called Jakarta Java Kini in 2007.

Alex is in charge of a team of up to 50 writers, designers and photographers, many of them older and with many more years experience than him, but it is a job and a lifestyle he loves.

The Monash advantage
Alex unashamedly credits his rapid rise through the media ranks to his degree from Monash University.

"I think one of the main reasons I got this job is because of Monash. Obviously the publisher knew Monash and studying at Monash really opened a lot of doors for me," he says.

"It's just a great place in terms of the people, and the subjects offered. Even though I did arts I still took marketing classes or management classes.

"Monash for me is very international, that is why I liked it. Compared to other universities in Melbourne, I thought Monash was the way to go knowing they have campuses in Malaysia and in South Africa, so that gives you a different mind set as well."

Due to his father's work commitments as an engineer, Alex's family have travelled between Melbourne and Jakarta for most of his life. But when the time came to decide on where to study his choice was simple: Monash.

His father too is a Monash graduate, having completed his masters at the University in the 1970s so Alex wanted to follow in his footsteps. He also he felt the Communications course, offered within the Faculty of Arts was better than other universities in Melbourne.

Why choose Monash?
Alex says he deliberately chose to study at the Caulfield campus in Melbourne, as the campus was geographically smaller and more friendly. It was easy to move around, the classes were very close together and the tutors were great too, he recalls.

Monash University has campuses in Australia, Malaysia and South Africa, 56,000 students, 7000 staff and an enviable reputation for teaching and research excellence.

It is rated among the top 50 universities in the world by The Times Higher Education Supplement and is a member of the prestigious research intensive Group of Eight universities in Australia.

In early 2009 Alex was awarded the Outstanding Young Australian Alumni Award in the second annual Australian Alumni Awards.

His citation read: "In recognition of his inspiring contribution and impact at a young age on the younger media generation setting the benchmark as a prominent editor, manager and team leader."

As for the future Alex says he wants to get bigger and better, building his career within the Indonesian media.

And as for finding the next generation of media performers, this rising star says he would happily hire other Monash graduates.

"Yes. Hell yes, because I know they are from a good university."