UNAIR NEWS – Four Universitas Airlangga students joined South East Asian One Health University Network (SEOAHUN) international meeting with fellow students from Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Taiwan.
SEOAHUN held two events, the ‘Fostering One Health Leaders’ student summit on September 3-5, 2022, and the ‘Catalyzing One Health Citizens of the Future’ conference on September 5-7, 2022.
Representing UNAIR, the four students from Sesarengan Team were Suwaibatul Annisa (Student of Veterinary Medicine Professional Program); Devi Ayu Safitri (Student of Veterinary Medicine Professional Program); Muhammad Rizky Widodo (Student of Public Health Undergraduate Program); and Ardelia Bertha Prastika (Student of Midwifery Undergraduate Program). The delegates were supervised by UNAIR Lecturer, Khuliyah Candraning Diyanah SKM M KL.
Previously, they took part in 2021 Student Education Video Contest in which they won First Place. The victory then brought Sesarengan Team to the 2022 SEOAHUN in Bangkok.
Being Indonesian delegates
Thirty-four students participated in the SEOAHUN as representatives of member universities. UNAIR team became the only Indonesian delegates in the event.
“In the student summit, the activities include lectures on one health core competency, system thinking, and risk communication; field trip; working on field trip analysis; presentation; and the cultural night,” said Rizky.
During the student summit, they gained a lot of knowledge and valuable experiences. Apart from improving self-confidence and public speaking skills, SEOAHUN allows the participants to build international networks with one another.
SEAOHUN Conference
The event, held in the Grand Richmond Hotel, was attended by researchers across the world, academicians, USAID project officers, and many more NGOs.
The conference discussed the One Health development as an approach to solving health problems. The keynote speakers open the conference by discussing the concept of One Health in the Age of Pandemics and Climate Change.
The SEOAHUN participants were also involved in organizing the conference. UNAIR delegates, for instance, were assigned as volunteers at registration desks on the first day.
“With various global changes, solving health problems and preventing the emergence of new health problems require multi-sector collaboration,” said Rizky to UNAIR NEWS.
“To provide comprehensive solutions and prevent new problems.”
New experience
Rizky said that meeting delegates from various countries grant them experiences, including gaining insights into collaborative actions and interprofessional synergy.
The Sesarengan Team believed that interprofessional synergy could not be achieved instantly. To reach the synergy level, baby steps needed to be made.
“As an international event, it requires active participatory [in which] we met the language barrier. It drove us to learn,” Rizky said.
The team hoped there would be One Health-oriented UNAIR team regeneration even when the One Health organization, ADPRC-OHCC, is available.
“Hopefully, the One Health movement in Universitas Airlangga can continue to grow with everyone’s financial and non-financial support,” he ended the interview.
Author: Monika Astria Br Gultom
Editor: Feri Fenoria
