Wensislaus Noval Rumangun is a Master of Public and International Affairs candidate, focusing in international trade and development at GSPIA.
Born and raised in Indonesia, he took his undergraduate degree at Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta majoring in literature. As an enthusiast of trade and development issues, Wensislaus is now living his dream of completing his second-year master’s degree in International Political Economy at GSPIA.
"I chose GSPIA after learning that its staff and faculty care a lot about their students. My enrollment counselor has shown me that since day one by helping me with a short course introduction before I registered for my classes. As an international student, this simple gesture has been one great help. Not to mention how resourceful the career service and the faculties have been in shaping my professional goal," he said. "My experience so far in GSPIA has helped me seeing a much clearer image of what I want to become and how to achieve that"
While not on campus now due to COVID-19, Wensislaus said his favorite thing about Pittsburgh is the hiking and running trails throughout the city.
"If I want to feel nature, I can visit Schenley Park located right next to our GSPIA building. On the other hand, I can always jog on the Three Rivers trail with the outstanding city view," he said.
In his first year at GSPIA, he took a part in the Human Trafficking in Global Supply Chains working group. In his second year, he moved to Washington, DC to complete his DC Semester program to hone his skills in economic negotiation. Focusing on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region, Wensislaus plans to work for the Indonesian government or the ASEAN secretariat after graduation.
"I saw the huge potential of International Trade, especially coming from a developing country like Indonesia. That is why I chose to major in International Political Economy. In addition, GSPIA lets its students take courses across majors, so I can still pursue my interests in other areas as well," he added.