To accelerate the achievement of UNIB’s vision and mission to become a world-class university by 2025, various international standard research and learning activities continue to be intensified by the Chemistry Department, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) UNIB. Most recently, 5 (five) lecturers from abroad were invited online and offline to lecture to students.
The International Lecturer Teaching activity which was held on 25 – 29 September 2023 is also an implementation of the Independent Campus Competition Program (PKKM) obtained by the Undergraduate Chemistry Study Program, Department of Chemistry, FMIPA UNIB.
The Person in Charge of International Lecturer Teaching Activities at the Chemistry Department, FMIPA UNIB, Prof. Dr. Sal Prima Yudha S, S.Si, M.Si explained that of the five foreign lecturers, three lectured online (on the network) via the Zoom meeting application. They are Assoc. Prof. Hira Khalid from Forman Christian College (FCC) Pakistan, Asst. Prof. Subhan Salaeh from Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Thailand, and Assoc. Prof. Satria Zulkarnaen Bisri from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) Japan.
Then, two International Lecturers conducted learning offline (outside the network) face to face and interacted directly with students in the classroom, namely Prof. Mohsin Kazi from King Saud University (KSU) Saudi Arabia and Assoc. Prof. Noor Haida Mohd Kaus from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Malaysia. Offline lectures were held in the UNIB Integrated Services Building (GLT) and the UNIB FMIPA building meeting room, last September 25-29.
The five lecturers from abroad collaborated with internal lecturers at FMIPA UNIB in delivering lectures that are relevant to the courses they teach. Assoc. Prof. Hira Khalid supervised together with Prof. Dr. Morina Adfa (internal lecturer for S1 Chemistry) in the Organic Reaction Mechanisms course. Then, Asst. Prof. Subhan Salaeh taught the course with Prof. Irfan Gustian in the Polymer course, and Assoc. Prof. Satria Zulkarnaen supervised together with Dr. Evi Maryanti in the Nanotechnology course.
Next, Prof. Mohsin Kazi taught with Dr. Dwita Oktiarni, M.Si. and Apt. Yona Harianti Putri, S.Farm, M.Farm in Advanced Biochemistry and Medicinal Chemistry courses. Assoc. Prof. Noor Haida Mohd Kaus and Prof. Sal Prima Yudha S taught the Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms course.
Two lecturers from abroad carried out direct interactions using English and provoked undergraduate Chemistry and Pharmacy students to interact actively. The international academic atmosphere is felt in the lecture rooms.
Students practice English passively (as listeners) and also try to interact actively by asking and answering questions given by the international lecturer.
The students were very enthusiastic about taking part in learning both offline and online with these international lecturers, even though they still encountered several technical obstacles, such as English language skills which still had to be improved continuously.
The offline presence of two lecturers from abroad at FMIPA UNIB not only carried out learning programs for students, but also held discussions with several FMIPA UNIB lecturers about the possibility of developing cooperation and both collaboration in research and teaching activities.
“We discussed the possibility of further development of cooperation and collaboration between FMIPA UNIB, KSU Saudi Arabia and USM Malaysia. “We hope that in the future increased cooperation can be realized,” explained Prof. Sal Prima Yudha in his release.[Editor: Purna Herawan/PR].
