UNAIR NEWS –  Rector of Universitas Airlangga Dr. Mohammad Nasih has inaugurated three new professors. The three new professors were inaugurated on Saturday, September 16 at Garuda Mukti Hall of UNAIR Management Office.
The new professors are Prof. Badri Munir Sukoco, S.E., MBA., Ph.D (Faculty of Economics and Business), Prof. Dr. Yosephine Sri Wulan Manuhara, Dra., M.Si (Faculty of Science and Technology), and Prof. Dr. Tuti Kusumaningsih, drg., M.Kes (Faculty of Dental Medicine).
Rector said the professorship title is a heavy mandate. They are required to create new sciences for the advancement of civilization. Innovative views on science are expected to continue to flow and be felt by the community.
Prof. Badri is the 22nd active FEB professor, the 463rd UNAIR professor since its establishment, as well as the 171st UNAIR professor as a state university legal entity (PTN-BH). The youngest professor delivered a scientific oration entitled “Orchestrating Dynamic Capabilities to Improve the Competitiveness of the Nation”.
Prof. Badri conveyed about university challenge in producing creative class. It is a challenge from a growing world whereas universities considered not capable enough to produce creative class agents.
“Creative class is produced by the university. To create a creative class, university should be able to predict approximately what work will exist in the years ahead, ” he said.
Prof. Manuhara who is the 9th active FST professor, the 464th professor since UNAIR establishment, as well as the 172nd professor of UNAIR as PTN-BH delivered a scientific oration entitled “Biomass Production and Bioactive Compound Plants in Bioreactors: Efforts to Meet the Need of Drug Raw Materials in Indonesia”.
She said that currently around 95-96% of raw materials of medicine in Indonesia are still imported, mainly from China and India. They already produce raw materials in bioreactors, instead of taking medicinal materials directly from nature.
“I started with a one-liter bioreactor for two plants I focus on, Javanese ginseng and longevity spinach. In few months I could produce the same content of natural plants aged 3-4 years. This is certainly a technology that we must begin to master, ” she said.
Prof. Manuhara also said that efforts will be made to increase production capacity on a larger scale. The success of the research is expected to give a real contribution in meeting the need of raw materials of medicine in Indonesia.
The third professor inaugurated is Prof. Tuti. She is the 17th active FKG professor, the 465th professor since UNAIR establishment, as well as the 17th professor of UNAIR as PTN-BH. In her inauguration she delivered a scientific oration titled “Oral Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) as Models to Design Effective Antibiotics”.
Prof. Tuti said that the oral cavity is a unique ecosystem. It is characterized by many micro organisms living in the oral cavity. Both harmful and beneficial micro organisms.
“In our oral cavity there is a natural antibiotic that functions extraordinarily. Our saliva is a natural antibiotic, “she explained.
Author: UNAIR News Team
