Adlan Hidayat
My name is Adlan Hidayat and, although I’ve lived in lots of different countries, I am proud to be Malaysian. I love to travel, so moving around the world while I was growing up felt like every day was a new adventure. Now at IE University, I truly feel that I’ve made friends for life. I love to spend my free moments with them—nothing makes me more fulfilled than being surrounded by smiling faces who genuinely make me happy. I’ve also recently become an active runner, which has been a great way to explore Madrid! Intellectually, I’m fascinated by technological innovations such as cryptocurrencies. As I move forward, I hope to live by the words of my personal hero and world champion boxer, Muhammad Ali: “The man who has no imagination, has no wings.”
"I am grateful for the people that I’ve met, the opportunities that I have taken, and the lessons I have learnt. I’m confident that the experience has built the foundation for my future career."
Adlan chose to attend IE University for the international student body and innovative approach to teaching. Looking for a rounded learning experience that would encourage continuous learning both inside and outside of the classroom, he picked the Bachelor in Politics, Law and Economics. By covering a wide cross-section of knowledge, Adlan felt that the holistic nature of the program would allow him to ‘connect the dots’ between his interests in each discipline.
Now in his final year, Adlan has made the most of his IE University career by taking each opportunity to develop himself and the world around him. Alongside discovering his own passions and forming new friendships, Adlan has been an active member of the IEU Debate Club in Segovia and even represented the university at the Geneva International Model United Nations. He was also a member of the Academics Committee of the IEU Student Government and went on to become a mentor for the IEU Mentorship Society in his second year.
Among his other extracurricular achievements, Adlan has also found his feet in the world of social entrepreneurship, getting involved with work at 180 Degrees Consulting. This led him to a collaboration with Paladio Arte, a Segovia-based theatre with a focus on social inclusion and removing barriers to creative expression. Adlan’s other creative pursuits have involved teaming up with friends from IE University to launch the IE Think Podcast. Streaming on Spotify since February 2020, Adlan and his co-producers seek to make content that connects the IE University community through topics such as mental health, diversity, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enthusiastic to put his studies into practice, in the summer following his first year Adlan also joined the IE Policy Lab in Segovia. There, he gained valuable insights into the initiatives of the World Food Program and UNICEF before undertaking a hands-on group challenge: creating an advocacy plan to tackle severe acute malnutrition in Burundi’s infant population. While demanding, Adlan says the few weeks he spent at the IE Policy Lab were truly eye-opening.
As for the program itself, Adlan has found himself most inspired by the Economics courses on the curriculum, such as Behavioral Policy, Monetary Economics, and Public Economics. Nonetheless, other subjects covered in his program have opened his eyes to the legal and political structure of the world, giving him a robust and rounded global perspective. In fact, Adlan credits this unique experience at IE University as the key to securing an prestigious internship at JP Morgan Chase & Co., where he was quickly able to apply a range of transferable skills.
Following a successful stint at the major firm, Adlan returned from his internship more inspired about exploring the fast-paced world of banking. Over the nine weeks, his eyes were opened to an array of diverse opportunities and people. He now believes that banking is the perfect environment for those with analytical minds and interpersonal skills, offering opportunities to develop new ideas and work with different people at every turn. Looking to the future, Adlan eventually hopes to work with start-ups, supporting innovative ideas and transforming them into impactful realities. We wish him all the best for the bright future ahead of him!
