UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga’s students have made another achievement at global level. A group of Environmental Engineering students joined student mobility for a joint research program in collaboration with Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) the Netherlands. The outstanding third-year students are Julia Alfianita, Martantry Istaningrum, Terry Aviano, and Mochammad Ilham, who have participated in the program from August 11, 2022, to September 6, 2022.
They conducted research on water pollution. According to one of the team members, Martantry, they study the use of nanomembranes to reduce organic micropollutants (MP) in rivers through various wastewater treatment processes.
Terry said that the program boosts their insight as Environmental Engineering students. The research allows them to learn the use of advanced technology in water management to improve the water quality in rivers in Indonesia, which are polluted by micro and micropollutants.
Cultural difference
However, the students found conducting research in a foreign country challenging. They had to adjust to the local culture and native habits, such as time management and freedom of dressing style.
“TU Delft students are highly disciplined. The academicians have free styles of dressing. They even wear short pants and sleeveless shirts in summer,” said Ilham.
Julia hoped that the research might answer the water problems in Indonesia, as the Netherlands’ environmental sanitation facilities and infrastructure are far more complex. The significant differences can be seen in the advanced methods and cutting-edge laboratory equipment. Hopefully, the research may contribute to the community’s welfare.
The joint research was conducted for their final project under the experts’ supervision, Prof Dr. Ir Luuk C. Rietveld from the TU Delft, Dr. Nurina Fitriani ST from UNAIR, and Ir Eddy S Soedjono Dipl SE MSc Ph.D. from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS).
Author: Deanita Nurkhalisa
Editor: Binti Q. Masruroh
