Let me introduce you to Abu Bakar Abdul Hamid.
Better known as Abu, he is one of Ruangguru’s Management Associates in the Product Management Function. Abu is known as the person behind Ruangguru’s many large-scale online tryout events, assuring that grand online tryouts such as the National Online Tryout, which amassed more than 280,000 participants all over Indonesia, and the Palembang award-winning College Entrance Exam Tryout are executed without any technical glitch.
There is also something unique about him. Do you know that Abu has a background in Chemistry since senior high in 2013? Yet, he’s now groomed to be a part of Southeast Asia’s leading edu-tech company’s management team.
So, what is it about Abu, Chemistry, and Ruangguru?
Here’s a long story, short.
Well, by now you know that Abu joined Ruangguru through the Management Associate Program (MAP), one of Ruangguru’s programs that is designed especially for top, young talents. It is a rigorous, accelerated track that emphasizes on both depth and breadth in personal development. You also know that he’s in the Product Team, where he also oversees features in Ruangguru’s mobile application, such as the leading ruangbelajar.
What you didn’t know, however, was Abu’s chance with Chemistry.
Abu said he has always enjoyed Science since he was young. So, in the year 2012, when he was a junior high school student, he tried for the National Science Olympic (OSN) in Biology.
He lost.
Then, came high school. He entered tried OSN again.
This time, he tried Chemistry and his journey with it began.
“At first, I want to try something new and I chose Chemistry,” Abu said. “Chemistry is different from others. It is always changing, never static.”
This time, he made it through, and was selected to go to the International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO). He prepared a lot of things, like following national training, before representing Indonesia in Vietnam. During the training, he realized that he needed to solve a bunch of chemistry problems in minutes.
“Accuracy and speed both matter in IChO,” Abu said. “Practice, practice and practice.”
He represented Indonesia at IChO with three other people, winning one gold medal and three silver medals, and caught the attention of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He received a scholarship from them, and continued studying chemistry.
Besides studying chemistry, Abu joined the Indonesian student organization in NTU, known as PINTU (Pelajar Indonesia NTU), where he became president. During his days of organizing, he learned of the many gaps in quality of life between Indonesia and Singapore. “Indonesia’s condition is concerning,” he said. There were too many problems that aren’t resolved, he said, such as the economy, healthcare, and education. Through PINTU’s programs, Abu said he believed he can also make an impact for Indonesia.
“It felt like such a privilege for me as an Indonesian student who was able to study at NTU. That’s when I saw there were many gaps between Indonesia and Singapore,” Abu said.
This was also when Abu’s literal Chemistry journey came to a halt.
Because, upon realizing the dire condition Indonesia was in compared to Singapore, Abu started thinking about ways he can contribute and give back to Indonesia, and moved into the forays of community service. So, as President of PINTU, they launched “PINTU Peduli, and their first area of service was Jatimulyo Village in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
Abu flew from Singapore to Yogyakarta and became a PINTU Peduli adviser in Jatimulyo Village. There, PINTU Peduli provided free health counseling and helped build basic infrastructure such as street lights.
PINTU Peduli (now Balik Kampoeng) in Yogyakarta was only Abu’s first step, continuing on a path of social consciousness in different islands across the archipelago and helping communities in Flores, Tangerang, and Batam.
Abu also worked in global FMCG and technology companies and was involved in numerous projects that health with product development while he was still at NTU. Upon graduating from NTU, Abu continued his life back home. Coming home, coming up with ideas, manifesting them, and seeing how his creation impacted the lives of the masses drove Abu’s desire for impact.
And because he’s kept away from the technicalities of Chemistry, Abu has built a spirit to never stop learning.
Finally came his descent on Ruangguru. Having built a deep yearning to do good and serve communities, Abu said he felt that his goal aligns well with Ruangguru’s vision.
In Ruangguru, and especially through MAP, Abu sees his work as a way to spread goodness.
In Ruangguru, Abu said he feels that he’s in the right place, just where he belongs.
“Why Ruangguru is different from other companies is because, when a project is successful, it is not only us who celebrate the success, but the success impacts Indonesian students too. For example, a student from Papua can now get accepted at ITB because studying with Ruangguru. That’s called success,” Abu said.
Though Abu is not working in Chemistry, deep down, Abu said he has never left Chemistry. Fundamentally, Chemistry is a vehicle for Abu to achieve what he wants, which is to pursue his dream in doing good and impacting others. Now, through Ruangguru and MAP, Abu is also pursuing his dreams.
So, the shorter version of Abu’s already-short story here is this:
In Ruangguru, everyone can be anything. Even if you have a different background, as long as you want to learn and work hard (just like Abu), there will always be a way.
If you’re looking for opportunities as special and impactful as Abu’s, click here.
