UNAIR NEWS – UNAIR student mobility at the global level increases. This time, Wardha Tia Ivani, an Economics student in the fast-track Master’s degree program, attended International Conference at Chiang Mai University Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Energy (SAFE) 2023 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, which was held from May 28-29, 2023.

Program details

Wardha stated that the program aims to improve UNAIR student skills and interests in research through presentations in front of professors from various countries during a conference. The output is a Scopus paper or international journal publication.

“All participants have the same goals to publish their research. Before the thesis, publication is mandatory for the postgraduate program. Therefore, my fellows at the fast-track program sign up for this,” she said.

Wardha’s idea

Wardha conducted research on the correlation between agricultural sector growth and poverty in rural areas. She revealed that almost 43 percent of Indonesians live in rural areas. Most of them farm for a living. It means that the income from the agricultural sector serves as a focal point for rural communities.

“However, based on data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), the highest poverty rates are also found in rural areas, which raises a significant question for me personally, as I live in a village myself,” said the Jombang-origin student.

Her research findings align with the theory that economic growth in the agricultural sector correlates negatively with the level of rural poverty. She believed that it serves as a policy recommendation for the government.

“One way to reduce poverty in rural areas is through the growth in the agricultural sector,” she stated.

Furthermore, she was impressed during her visit to Maejo University. She got to make Thailand handcraft before they proceed with the visit to Chiang Mai University.

“The program amazed me with the high amount of knowledge and remarkable experiences,” she said.

Hence, she encouraged all students not to be afraid to dream big and balance it with reliance on God. Wardha believes that achievements are not solely due to one’s abilities. Instead, it is all in God’s power. There is no need to worry about financial matters because UNAIR will fully support it.

“UNAIR covers everything from the ticket cost to the allowance; hopefully, we can make UNAIR proud on a global scale,” Wardha added.

Author: Viradyah Lulut Santosa

Editor : Khefti Al Mawalia