Chandra (Nat) Limiarja © Courtesy of Humber Polytechnic
“It feels unbelievable because I’ve never really won anything in my life,” said Chandra (Nat) Limiarja.
That was the reaction of the Humber Polytechnic Research Analyst student following his victory at the national Map the System competition for his presentation Breaking the Cycle of Hate: A Systems Analysis of Anti-LGBTQ Sentiment in Indonesia.
Limiarja, who’s originally from Indonesia and is gay, said this was his first opportunity to conduct research in areas that touched on mental health and the LGBTQ+ community. Map the System is a global competition run by Oxford University that tasks students with addressing global issues by studying them to gain a deeper understanding of the problem, its broader context, and how it connects to other problems, a process known as systems thinking.
Humber Polytechnic has embedded employability experiences that bring the lessons taught in the classroom into the real world. By emphasizing instilling the skills and values that will enhance students’ employability, Humber ensures students’ resilience and competitive edge in the face of evolving labour markets.
“Humber Polytechnic is committed to building lifelong employability for its students through hands-on opportunities that apply their knowledge and skills inside and outside of the classroom,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, president and CEO of Humber Polytechnic. “By reimagining education to adapt to and shape the changing world, Humber will equip graduates for success and empower them to make a positive impact.”
Following his win, Limiarja said he hopes to make a social impact in his future career and that his participation in the Map the System competition opened his eyes further to this possibility.
Although being part of the LGBTQ+ community isn’t illegal in Indonesia, Limiarja said there are laws on the books that are being used to implicitly criminalize them, with new laws being added that are used against the LGBTQ+ community. The government, media and religious groups also push widespread anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments and campaigns.
“It really hurt me when I was doing the research and I didn’t expect it to impact me so strongly,” said Limiarja. “But it really pushed me to focus on what I can do because I want to help and create change.”
Equipping students with the tools to go out into the world and create positive change is one of the tenets of Humber’s mission to develop broadly educated, highly skilled, and adaptable citizens. It speaks to Humber’s recently released vision for the future, Building Brilliance.
Limiarja’s research instilled in him a sense of hope for the future. He initially thought that LGBTQ issues didn’t resonate with Indonesians. However, he found many activists lobbying politicians for change and grassroots organizations providing support. His proposed solution to LGBTQ discrimination in Indonesia is increased advocacy and support for activists working to have the country’s legal code revised.
The judges recognized his thorough research and systems thinking approach. “When I heard them call Humber, my jaw dropped. I still can’t believe it. It’s such a good feeling to see all that hard work being acknowledged.”
Learn more about Building Brilliance at humber.ca/building-brilliance
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