by humas
Department of Chemistry Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) of the University of Bengkulu University invited researchers and foreign students from Thailand to carry out the Short Stay 2022 Program. Various activities have been done successfully and are expected to contribute to the achievements of Key Performance Indicators for departments, faculties and all of UNIB institutions.
The Short Stay (SS) 2022 Program in the Chemistry Department was coordinated by the Head of the Chemistry Masters Study Program Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) UNIB Prof. Dr. Morina Adfa and Head of the Undergraduate Chemistry Study Program Dyah Fitriani, S.Si., M.Si. with team members Prof. Dr. Sal Prima Yudha, Dr. Charles Banon, Deni Agus Triawan, S.Si, M.Si and Dr. Agus Martono, HP., DEA. This activity was also fully supported by the faculty leader and students majoring in chemistry at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The first stage of the Short Stay 2022 Program at the Department of Chemistry was held for 16 days, from October 20 to November 4 2022. The foreign research lecturer who were invited; Asst. Prof. Dr. Subhan Salaeh along with a master’s student from the Department of Rubber Technology and Polymer Science, Prince of Songkla University-Thailand named Miss Puntira Kaoaian.
Dr. Subhan Salaeh’s Research focus on Rubber Technology, Polymer Processing, and Nanostructured materials. He has published the results of his research in Scopus indexed International Journals totaling 19 articles with H-index Scopus 11. His latest publication was in ACS Applied Polymer Materials, 2022, 4 (10), pp. 7463–7475, Journal Q1 (a publication of the American Chemical Society), with the article title Segregated MWCNT Structure Formation in Conductive Rubber Nanocomposites by Circular Recycling of Rubber Waste.
Prince of Songkla University itself is a university that is included in 101-150 World University Rankings (WUS) by Subjects, and 171 Asian University Rankings.
Dr. Subhan Salaeh carried out sharing and discussion activities sessions with chemistry department lecturers related to research and publications during the Short Stay Program at the Chemistry Department, FMIPA UNIB. He was also a speaker and motivator at public lectures held by the Chemistry Student Association with participants from Chemistry undergraduate students and Chemistry Masters students. The two topics he presented at the public lecture, namely “Polymer Chemistry especially Rubber Nano composites” and “Introducing the Prince of Songkla University in Thailand, as well as how to study abroad”.
Dr. Subhan was also invited to a public lecture at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, he presented material about “How to publish in a reputable journal and build collaboration” and the results of his group’s research to 4th level undergraduate students and 2nd level masters students of all study programs at FMIPA UNIB. Puntira Kaoaiana , a student of Dr. Subhan also delivered the results of her thesis research. This public lecture was opened by the Dean of FMIPA UNIB, Dr. Jarulis, S.Si, M.Si.
Then, on October 25-27 2022, Dr. Subhan Salaeh and his student Puntira Kaoaian were also actively involved in the World Class Professor (WCP) -Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences satellite activity coordinated by Prof. Dr. Sal Prima Yudha. Morover, Dr. Subhan was asked to be one of the presenters at the Workshop on Publication Strategy, Teaching Science Workshop, and One Day Seminar on Science and Technology .
In addition, while participating in the Short Stay Program, Puntira Kaoaian also involved in several activities together with Bachelor and Masters students in Chemistry FMIPA UNIB, both discussions about relevant research and cultural activities.
The second stage of Short Stay (SS) 2022 Program at the Department of Chemistry was held for 15 days, started from November 3 to November 17 2022. In this stage, two students from the master’s program and doctoral program Department of Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University- Thailand were invited, namely Miss Laksanaphon Sridawong and Miss Khrongkhwan Yotkuna who are Assoc guidance students. Prof. Dr. Sirikanjana Thongmee.
Lecturer/researcher named Assoc. Prof Dr Sirikanjana Thongmee, is very well known at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, the University of Bengkulu. She is a research partner of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences UNIB, Prof. Sal Prima Yudha, which from their research collaboration has resulted in joint publication in the Journal of The Indonesian Chemical Society and Bulletin of Chemical Reaction Engineering & Catalysis in 2020. Then the collaboration between the two will continue until 2022, by conducting joint research again under funding from the Institute for Quality Assurance and Learning Development at the University of Bengkulu.
Kasetsart University itself is currently included in 53 QS World University Rankings (WUS) by Subjects, and 138 Asian University Rankings.
During their time at the Chemistry Department, FMIPA UNIB, Laksanaphon Sridawong and Khrongkhwan Yotkuna carried out collaborative research activities at the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Sal Prima Yudha with the theme Development of multi-functional inorganic composites based on zeolite of Bengkulu.
The two students from Thailand also carried out discussion activities and exchanged information about the cultures of the two countries with Bachelor and Masters students in Chemistry FMIPA UNIB. The activities carried out were the same as those carried out by two students of Kasetsart University named Prissana Robkhob and Tanawat Imboon in 2019.
During their activities at the University of Bengkulu, all foreign guests, both research lecturers and students, were also introduced to Indonesian food and Bengkulu culinary specialties, and invited to make visits to several mainstay tourist objects in Bengkulu city.
Prof. Dr. Morina Adfa as Coordinator Short Stay (SS) Program 2022 in the Department of Chemistry, explained to the UNIB PR team, the source of funding for this activity was from the budget in the 2022 Budget Plan for Bachelor and Masters Program in Chemistry FMIPA.
With the implementation of this activity, it is hoped that it could contribute to the achievement of the Main Performance Indicators (IKU) for faculties and universities, especially related to IKU-4 regarding lecturers coming from professional practitioners, the industrial world or the worklife, and IKU-5 regarding the work of lecturers used by the public. or get international recognition, as well as IKU-6 regarding Study Programs in collaboration with world-class partners. “It is also hoped that it will be useful in the process of accrediting LAMSAMA Prodi and AIPT,” she said.
For students, said Prof. Morina, this international scale activity could provide an opportunity to practice communication skills in English and Thai, so that it became a place to improve communication skills for Bachelor and Master students in Chemistry.
“In the future, this activity is expected to have a domino effect on the internationalization of the Chemistry Department so that it can move more quickly hand in hand with the best universities in Indonesia, Southeast Asia and even the world,” she said, she also added that one of the outcomes of this activity was the exploration of an MoU between FMIPA UNIB and Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani, Thailand.
[Writer : Morina Adfa, Editor : Purna Herawan/Humas].