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Month: September 2023

Grand opening of first University Center for Sustainable Development takes place at Satbayev University

Posted on by Satbayev University

On September 6, 2023, the opening ceremony of Center for Sustainable Development, the first such center in Kazakhstan opened at University, took place at Satbayev University within the framework of International Round Table “UN Sustainable Development Goals: Principles of Environmental Safety”. The event also included the adoption of the University’s strategy for Sustainable Development Goals.

The event was attended by Gulzat Kobenova, Chairperson of Higher and Postgraduate Education Committee at RK MSHE (online), Mikaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator in Kazakhstan, Assel Nurbekova, Director of Ecology and Energy Department at UNDP in Kazakhstan, Zhang Wei, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Almaty, and other officials.

UN Sustainable Development Goals are a set of ambitious goals aimed at the prosperity of countries. As Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted in his message, the key tasks of Kazakhstan’s development include ensuring the country’s water security and education quality. The work within the framework of Sustainable Development Goals is designed primarily to address the given issues.

Satbayev University has become the first and so far the only University in the Republic of Kazakhstan to be included in the UN Global Compact. This enables University to actively implement the 17 Sustainable Development Goals at the national and global levels. Among them: poverty eradication, hunger eradication, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation etc.

The initiative force of change will be Center for Sustainable Development opened at University, designed to develop practical solutions for the sustainable development of society. Center will develop new technologies and methods that help reduce the negative human impact on the environment and help raise people’s awareness of sustainable development issues and ways to solve them.

The participants highly appreciated the fact of the opening of such an important center, which will play a key role in economy growth and improving the society’s living conditions. To support University on the way to building a “green university” and in honor of the opening of Center, University’s business partner Dauren Askarovich Sabdenov donated two HONDA 1st generation electric crossover cars to Satbayev University.

– In order not to lose our way, we must all move in the same direction. Here we will work together to work out ways to solve problems that affect each of us in one way or another,” Rector of Satbayev University Meiram Begentayev said at the opening of Center.

The first step was the international round table “UN Sustainable Development Goals: Principles of Environmental Safety”. The purpose of the round table was to unite the ecological community of Kazakhstan under the auspices of Satbayev University, as well as accelerate and coordinate research to develop and promote reliable and effective solutions to environmental protection issues faced by humanity.

UNAIR researcher discusses rabies vaccine innovation with Indonesian, American scientists

Posted on by Universitas Airlangga News

Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) continues to produce innovative researchers. One of the researchers is Dr Arif Nur Muhammad Ansori . The researcher and assistant lecturer at the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) UNAIR discussed his innovation, Construction of Peptide-Based Vaccines with Indonesian Rabies Virus Glycoprotein: In Silico Approach with Indonesian and United States scientists.

Arif got this opportunity while attending The 9th Indonesian-American Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium from August 7 to August 11, 2023, in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. The event resulted from a collaboration between the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI) and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), United States of America.

The alumnus of UNAIR Faculty of Veterinary Medicine doctoral program was the only UNAIR researcher present at The 9th Indonesian-American Kavli Frontiers of Science Symposium. This event is a prestigious forum for young scientists from Indonesia and the United States to work and build international collaborations. The participants received funding and career development guidance.

“Participants were less than 45 years old. This event provides guidance for conducting research, funding on an international scale, and career development guidance,” explained Arif.

His innovation resulted from his concern looking at recent conditions in Indonesia. “Currently, there are many cases in various regions in eastern Indonesia related to rabies that attacks animals and humans,” he said.

New breakthrough rabies vaccine

From these problems, Arif took the initiative to design a rabies vaccine with a new breakthrough. “This problem forces us to design a new, up-to-date, more significant breakthrough vaccine design. As we learned from the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

Furthermore, the new breakthrough using genetic adjuvants can create a more optimal immune response in humans. “This vaccine design is made with glycoprotein and uses isolates originating from Indonesia,” he explained.

Arif revealed that he would conduct further research on the innovations he initiated. So that later this innovation will become a superior product. “Research is currently underway, starting with computational modeling. The advanced stages will make it an important product, “he concluded. (*)

Thammasat hosts informative ‘AI in Education’ presentation

Posted on by Thammasat University

The School of Global Studies’ Knowledge Management Community of Practice on Teaching hosted an informative “AI in Education” presentation at Thammasat University‘s Tha Prachan Campus On Wednesday, March 15th, 2023. Pat Yongpradit, the Chief Academic Officer of Code.org from USA, was invited to deliver the presentation. As part of his role, Khun Yongpradit works towards building connections with the education ecosystem in Thailand. He has previously conducted seminars and workshops on Computer Science, and Computational Thinking at Mahidol University, spoken at Thai conferences such as IPST’s ISMTEC 2018 and Aksorn’s Education Leader Symposium, and visited university classes to discuss education policy and systems change.

Both in-person and online SGS faculty members attended the presentation, where insights on “Global AI Education Policy Highlights” were shared. The presentation also touched on “AI in Education” and covered example uses limitations, and risks. The talk raised several thought-provoking questions, such as the advantages and disadvantages of using generative AI tools such as ChatGPT for active learning and critical thinking. These tools could potentially revolutionize how we teach and structure the learning experience.
Following the presentation, there was an open discussion among participants. The recent advent of ChatGPT has caused concern in the academic ecosystem worldwide, and this exchange was considered timely. Despite the potential risks associated with AI in education, SGS faculty members view it as an opportunity to revise the current way of learning, teaching, and evaluating students. This includes the development of active learning through AI technology, such as ChatGPT.

Thammasat students receive award from 5th APAC HPC-AI Competition

Posted on by Thammasat University

A team of students from the Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Computer Science, Thammasat University, Lampang Campus, representing Thailand which consists of Supakiat Waipinij, Kanokpol Saewang, Wiraphorn Rosmode, Wilasinee Maithong and Sadanont Riangsantia received the Best Performance Award and the Third-place award from the 5th APAC HPC-AI Competition for the second year in a row.

Assistant Professor Dr. Worawan Diaz Carballo as the team supervisor received a bronze medal in the Asia-Pacific High-Performance Computing and Artificial Intelligence competition, with Ms. Suwannee Aroonsawatwongse, Minister Counsellor as a representative of the embassy appointed to attend the opening ceremony of the Supercomputing Asia 2023 at the Singapore Expo together with Mr. Chan Lai Fung, Permanent Secretary for the Prime Minister’s Office (National Research and Development) of Singapore chaired.

Thailand co-hosted the event for the first time since it foresees the potential of Thailand as a leader in supercomputers in the region, especially “LANTA”, Thailand’s supercomputer with the highest computing speed in ASEAN. NSCC and ThaiSC both agreed upon the cooperation between Thailand and Singapore as an important force in driving cooperation at the ASEAN level in the future.

Teams of students from Thammasat University, Lampang Campus were able to successfully win the bronze medals for the second year in a row. This year, ThaiSC Center takes an important part in supporting the Thai student team throughout the competition. The success of students from Thammasat University, Lampang Campus is greatly congratulated by international students for their determination and effort which eventually led the Thai team to win the award from the highest speed, beating 24 teams across the APAC region.

Enjoy Your Temple Tour, Learn More with the “Insight Wat Pho” Application, A Social Innovation from Chula Architecture

Posted on by Chulalongkorn University

“Insight Wat Pho” an innovation for society by a Chula Architecture lecturer is a companion application that helps visitors plan and make the most out of their visit to Wat Pho. With helpful info on how to get there and points of interest, to fun features, such as AR (augmented reality) floor plan of Wat Pho and “Yak Wat Pho” hunt game to find the Wat Pho’s Giants, the app can help visitors have a trip that is more meaningful and enjoyable.

Many popular period Thai series have created a trend of both Thai and foreign tourists flocking to ancient sites, such as “Wat Phra Chetuphon Wimon Mangkhalaram Rajwaramahawihan” or “Wat Pho”, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bangkok and Thailand, attracting around 10,000 – 15,000 tourists each day!

Although the trend of dressing in Thai costumes and taking pictures in different archaeological sites is a form of soft power that helps boost the local economy, there are environmental impacts that should also be managed.

“Wat Pho is a place of worship that we must respect and an archaeological site that must be preserved, but we can see tourists climbing the structures without realizing their priceless value and the fact that these structures have existed for over a hundred years. Should there be any damage it is most difficult to repair,” said Dr. Wilasinee Suksawang, a lecturer at the Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University.

Inappropriate behavior that has been creating problems for this important tourist attraction pushed Dr. Wilasinee to initiate the social innovation project “Insight Wat Pho” to mitigate the impacts, which would be too late if not managed today. As an architecture professor who has been working tirelessly with the local community, professor Wilasinee believes that effective solutions to environmental problems should tackle their root cause by promoting environmental education.

“Nowadays, rather than solving environmental problems at the root cause, we often just treat the symptoms of those problems. For example, when the water is polluted, one develops many water treatment techniques. Ultimately, such an approach is unsustainable,” said Dr. Wilasinee.

“If people are knowledgeable about the environment, they will know what causes the problems and how to solve them. How can we, as part of the environment, contribute to mitigating, reducing, and not creating problems? Will this be a more sustainable approach than treating the problems at the results?”, explained the professor on the importance of applying the concept of Environmental Education and Environmental Ethics in solving the problems of Wat Pho.

Wat Pho, a tourist attraction, and educational destination with high potential. There are numerous historical sites in Thailand, and many of them are also facing the effects of tourism, but Dr. Wilasinee chose to start with Wat Pho as it is a high-potential tourist attraction.

Wat Pho is a historically significant Royal Temple. There are sacred icons that people worship. The architecture is distinctive, beautiful, and most importantly, “Wat Pho is regarded as the first university in Thailand. There are many recipes for medicine, and Thai massage references that are inscribed on stone tablets in the temple.”

“There is a considerable body of knowledge about Wat Pho, but it is accumulated in library books that nobody reads. So, I have been thinking about how we can make the knowledge accessible to the general public and make their visit more interesting. Instead of just visiting the temple and leaving, how do I get the visitors to prolong their stay in the temple with more fun and knowledge?” explained Dr. Wilasinee about the development of the “Insight Wat Pho” application to educate the general public about Wat Pho, so that they realize the value of the place, and lead to co-preservation and environmental impact reduction.

7 features to try! Take a tour of Wat Pho with deep insight
The “Insight Wat Pho” application did not start from scratch. Academia and experts have already been researching and collecting elaborate data about Wat Pho, including 3D models. “It would be a pity if all the research we have done, and the models would be kept on a computer when people should benefit from it.”

Therefore, Dr. Wilasinee and the Chulalongkorn Architecture research team have collaborated with several agencies, namely Wat Pho, and the National Innovation Agency (NIA), to curate interesting and useful information to provide Wat Pho visitors with the best experience.

“Insight Wat Pho” consists of 3 major features that provide basic information, and 4 more fun features that will educate visitors while they have fun:

Plan Your Visit
Dr. Wilasinee said, “When we travel to a certain place, we need a plan — how to get there, when it opens, how to buy tickets. These are the first things one should know. Therefore, anyone who is planning to visit Wat Pho can find this information from the Insight Wat Pho application. I can guarantee that the information is complete. There is no way you can get lost.”

Visitor Map
The layout of Wat Pho is quite complex and may make it difficult to walk around, and you may miss important spots, so having a map handy will make it easier.

“Although Wat Pho already has maps displayed at different points, in reality, we couldn’t find a map when we needed one, so having a map at our fingertip will give us peace of mind,” said Dr. Wilasinee.

Wat Pho in History
This feature shows the significant development of Wat Pho in three periods: King Rama I, King Rama III, and the present day. It is displayed as a 3D layout to portray what Wat Pho looks like in each era and how it has changed today.

Wat Pho from the Sky
This feature will take you to see Wat Pho from every corner by looking for the markers placed on the ground inside Wat Pho. When the marker is scanned, an AR diagram of Wat Pho will be displayed.

“We chose AR for this app because it is useful and fun for people. You can rotate, zoom in and out, and get a better understanding of the layout, details of the architecture, and the placement of the buildings.”

Explore
This feature will take you to explore the things that are not to be missed in Wat Pho, especially the important architecture and Buddha statues that we can not only see with our eyes but also scan and hear sounds and descriptions that will help us better understand the story of what is in front of us.

In addition, another not-to-be-missed fun is the “Poetry Quizzes” based on the Wat Pho stone inscriptions found on the pillars of the balcony.

“The Epigraphic Archives of Wat Pho are UNESCO-registered artifacts, some of which are in the form of puzzles. When we look at the inscription through the app, it will appear as an AR image, and there will be an audio poetry reading of that inscription for us. This function will allow us to complete the tour around the balcony without even knowing it.”

Freeze-Frames
In the app, there are pictures of different angles in Wat Pho from about 100 years ago. Users will have to find those spots today and compare how Wat Pho has changed. It is another feature that will take us to walk all over Wat Pho, and it’s great for photography enthusiasts.

Yak Wat Pho (Wat Pho’s Giants)
“I believe many people do not know what a Wat Pho’s Giants look like and where they are,” said Dr. Wilasinee, referring to the origins of the highlight feature like “I am a Yak Wat Pho.”

“When we are in Wat Pho, we will see so many statues of giants everywhere. So, which one is the real Wat Pho Giant? This feature provides a map indicating the coordinates of the giants. When we walk to the giants, the app will explain their details. “The map will take us around the temple to see various giants. Some giants may be in a form that we would not expect at all. Therefore, it is challenging to find all the giants and the hunt will attract us to spend a lot longer time in the temple.

The future of Insight Wat Pho
Dr. Wilasinee said that there are still many interesting stories about Wat Pho. The development team will continue to add information to the app. But the more challenging matter is not about Wat Pho’s information, but the business model that will allow the “Insight Wat Pho” app to thrive.

“Insight Wat Pho” is a free app. We do not want learning to cost money. So, to survive, we must rely on a business model. We are thinking of building Insight Wat Pho as a platform to support tourism and activities in Wat Pho, such as booking tickets to special events such as watercolor painting in Wat Pho, Wat Pho night tour, or reservation of special-edition souvenirs, and so on — which can only be done exclusively through the app. This also includes reservation of certified tour guides who are knowledgeable about Wat Pho. All of this will be included in the plan, said Dr. Wilasinee.

Insight Wat Pho – Not Just a Travel App
The “Insight Wat Pho” application is not just intended for users to have fun and gain knowledge, but Dr. Wilasinee is convinced that this innovation will make an impact on society in terms of culture, environment, and economy.

“We would like to see a behavior change in Wat Pho visitors from just sightseeing to exploring around to learn the history and culture of Thailand, and not missing the interesting spots. When tourists can spend a longer time in this place, they will support local shops and community stores when they are tired or hungry. This will not only bring a positive impact to tourism as a whole but also help draw monetary contributions into the communities,” said Dr. Wilasinee.

In this regard, Dr. Wilasinee also mentioned plans to expand the project to other historically significant places. The next temple in mind is “Wat Arun Ratchawaram Ratchawaramahaviharn (The Temple of Dawn)”, which is considered the “son temple” of Wat Pho (Wat Pho is the temple of King Rama I, while Wat Arun is the temple dedicated to King Rama II). Wat Arun has also been affected by the popularity among tourists dressed in Thai costumes looking for photo corners as backdrops in historical places as well.

Those interested in trying the Insight Wat Pho app can download it for free on the App Store and Google Play, or follow the app on Facebook: Insight Wat Pho.

Newly discovered fungus helps destroy a harmful food toxin

Posted on by Tokyo University of Science

Scientists identify a fungal strain that transforms patulin, a dangerous mycotoxin sometimes found in fruits, into less toxic byproducts

Patulin is a harmful mycotoxin produced by fungi typically found in damaged fruits, including apples, pears, and grapes. In a recent breakthrough, researchers from Japan identified a new filamentous fungal strain that can degrade patulin by transforming it into less toxic substances. Their findings provide important insights into the degradation mechanisms for patulin found in nature, and can lead to new ways of controlling patulin toxicity in our food supplies.

Patulin (C7H6O4), a mycotoxin produced by several types of fungi, is toxic to a variety of life forms, including humans, mammals, plants, and microorganisms. In particular, environments lacking proper hygienic measures during food production are susceptible to patulin contamination as many of these fungi species tend to grow on damaged or decaying fruits, specifically apples, and even contaminate apple products, such as apple sauce, apple juice, jams, and ciders.

Responsible for a wide variety of health hazards, including nausea, lung congestion, ulcers, intestinal hemorrhages, and even more serious outcomes, such as DNA damage, immunosuppression, and increased cancer risk, patulin toxicity is a serious concern worldwide. As a result, many countries have imposed restrictions on the permitted levels of patulin in food products, especially baby foods as infants are more vulnerable to the effects of patulin.

Treatment of patulin toxicity include oxygen therapy, immunotherapy, detoxification therapy, and nutrient therapy. However, as prevention is often better than cure, scientists have been on the lookout for efficient ways to mitigate patulin toxicity in food products. To this end, a research team including Associate Professor Toshiki Furuya from Tokyo University of Science (TUS) in Japan, recently screened for soil microorganisms that can potentially help keep patulin toxicity in check. Their study, published online in Volume 12, Issue 4 of MicrobiologyOpen on 11 August 2023, was co-authored by Ms. Megumi Mita, Ms. Rina Sato, and Ms. Miho Kakinuma, all from TUS.

The team cultured microorganisms from 510 soil samples in a patulin-rich environment, looking for those that would thrive in presence of the toxin. Next, in a second screening experiment, they used high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to determine the survivors that were most effective in degrading patulin into other less harmful chemical substances. Accordingly, they identified a filamentous fungal (mold) strain, Acremonium sp. or “TUS-MM1,” belonging to the genera Acremonium, that fit the bill.

The team then performed various experiments to shed light on the mechanisms by which TUS-MM1 degraded patulin. This involved incubating the mold strain in a patulin-rich solution and focusing on the substances that gradually appeared both inside and outside its cells in response to patulin over time.

One important finding was that TUS-MM1 cells transformed any absorbed patulin into desoxypatulinic acid, a compound much less toxic than patulin, by adding hydrogen atoms to it. “When we started this research, only one other filamentous fungal strain had been reported to degrade patulin,” comments Dr. Furuya. “However, prior to the present study, no degradation products had ever been identified. In this regard, to our knowledge, TUS-MM1 is the first filamentous fungus shown to be capable of degrading patulin into desoxypatulinic acid.”

Moreover, the team found that some of the compounds secreted by TUS-MM1 cells can also transform patulin into other molecules. By mixing patulin with the extracellular secretions of TUS-MM1 cells and using HPLC, they observed various degradation products generated from patulin. Encouragingly, experiments on E. coli bacterium cells revealed that these products are significantly less toxic than patulin itself. Through further chemical analyses, the team showed that the main agent responsible for patulin transformation outside the cells was a thermally stable but highly reactive compound with a low molecular weight.

Overall, the findings of this study take us a step closer toward efficient solutions for controlling the levels of patulin in food. Dr. Furuya speculates: “Elucidating the pathways via which microorganisms can degrade patulin would be helpful not only for increasing our understanding of the underlying mechanisms in nature but also for facilitating the application of these organisms in biocontrol efforts.”

Let us hope that these efforts will pave the way for safer fruit-based foods and beverages!

Fusion Sensor Innovation Technology as In Situ Early Screening of Breast Cancer by Exhalation

Posted on by Editorial Team

Breast cancer, also known as Carsinoma mammae, is a type of cancer that can affect both men and women. It originates in the milk glands, fatty tissue, and connective tissues. The 2020 report by Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) records over 600,000 deaths and 2 million new cases, proving that this cancer remains potentially lethal, particularly for women. In Indonesia, it has been recognized as the leading cancer case and second to lung cancer in terms of cancer-related deaths, with 65,000 new cases being detected in the same year. It is estimated to increase to 200,000 within the past five years. Early detection is, therefore, crucial to anticipate new cases, allow proper treatment, and minimize mortality.

Early breast cancer detection methods include mammography, breast ultrasound, MRI, PET scan, and biopsy. However, many sufferers express discomfort and embarrassment about these methods, in addition to their substantial cost, leaving room for improvements in terms of simplicity, practicality, effectiveness, and accuracy. Enter “Breath Analyzer Kits”: a breath analyzer with a Fusion Sensor system that integrates several smell detection tools intended to detect, identify, and analyze both simple and complex smells in addition to volatile organic compounds (VOC).

Cancer cells influence the abundance of VOC compounds in a patient’s breath. Considering that chemical analysis of a patient’s breath has been a known method to detect various types of cancer, a team of researchers from the Universitas Sumatera Utara, led by Dr. Zikri Noer S.Si, M.Si, along with members Oki Gunawan Harahap, A.Md., Awwa Chaga Qambara Taqwa, Dhuha Annisa Haque, Disty Ratna Marisya, David Kevin Handel Hutabarat, Misuki Awanda, and Ikhwanuddin, S.Si, M.Si, developed this innovative Fusion Sensor technology for real-time early detection of breast cancer by measuring the concentration of formaldehyde in exhaled breath.

The standard amount of formaldehyde (H2CO) in a healthy person’s breath ranges from 0.3 – 0.6 ppm, compared to a breast cancer patient’s 0.45 – 1.2 ppm. The Fusion Sensor picks up the formaldehyde compound using the iontophoresis in situ method, which analyzes the accumulated VOC in exhaled breath. The gas blown into the Sensor is ionized, causing changes in resistivity and generating distinct potential patterns from the TGS813, TGS822, TGS2600, and TGS2602 sensors. By using Arduino, the electrical signal generated from the potential difference in the pattern is then transformed into digital data. With its practicality, effective, and accurate early detection features, the Breath Analyzer Kit with Fusion Sensor system is innovative as a portable medical check-up technology.[vc_single_image image=”37129″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”]

Hydrogen generation breakthrough by CityU-led international collaboration holds great promise for clean future

Posted on by Editorial Team

An international team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has announced a groundbreaking step forward that has added significantly to the technical know-how required to clean up the planet.

The discovery, published in one of the world’s premier science journals, Nature, centres on developing a highly efficient electrocatalyst that can enhance hydrogen generation through electrocatalytic water splitting.

Titled “Phase-dependent growth of Pt on MoS2 for highly efficient H2 evolution”, the paper was published on 13 September in London.

Cleaner energy sources are desperately needed, but the challenges in weaning the world off fossil fuels and onto more sustainable energies are enormous.

An international research team led by Professor Zhang Hua has successfully developed a highly efficient electrocatalyst that can enhance hydrogen generation through electrocatalytic water splitting.

“Hydrogen generated by electrocatalytic water splitting is regarded as one of the most promising clean energies for replacing fossil fuels in the near future, reducing environmental pollution and the greenhouse effect,” said Professor Zhang Hua, Herman Hu Chair Professor of Nanomaterials at CityU, who is spearheading the research.

Professor Zhang’s collaborators include Professor Anthony R. J. Kucernak from the Department of Chemistry at Imperial College London and researchers from universities and research institutes in Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore and the UK.

The critical development in the CityU-led research is establishing novel catalysts by using the transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanosheets as supports, enabling superior efficiency and high stability during the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), a vital step in electrocatalytic water-splitting, also known as the water electrolysis technique, for hydrogen production.

The team has been exploring how to enhance the performance of the HER process by engineering the crystal phase of nanomaterials for several years. Although TMD nanosheets with unconventional crystal phases possess great potential to be used as catalyst supports, fabricating such sheets pure enough for HER is far from straightforward.

But in this research, Professor Zhang’s team has developed a new method to prepare unconventional-phase TMD nanosheets with high phase-purity and quality. Furthermore, they have investigated the crystal phase-dependent growth of noble metals on the TMD nanosheet supports.

Technically speaking, they found that the 2H-phase template facilitates the epitaxial growth of Pt nanoparticles, whereas the 1T′-phase template supports single-atomically dispersed Pt atoms (s-Pt). The synthesised s-Pt/1T′-MoS2 serves as a highly efficient catalyst for HER and can work for 500 hours in the water electrolyser, demonstrating that 1T′-TMD nanosheets could be effective supports for catalysts.

“We will develop more efficient catalysts based on this finding and explore their applications in various catalytic reactions,” said Dr Shi Zhenyu, a postdoctoral researcher in CityU’s Department of Chemistry and the first author of the paper.

These findings expand the scope of phase engineering in nanomaterials, paving the way for the design and synthesis of highly efficient catalysts, contributing to cleaner energies and more sustainable development.

Living in Harmony with Disaster: Oral Tradition as Psychological Well-Being Media for Volcanic Eruption Survivors

Posted on by Editorial Team

Mount Sinabung in the Karo Regency, North Sumatra Province, is one of Indonesia’s more active volcanoes, with numerous eruptions recorded since 2010. An eruption in 2013 was recorded as one of the most intense, displacing thousands of people in the mountain’s vicinity. In 2023, MAGMA (Multiplatform Application for Geohazard Mitigation and Assessment) Indonesia issued a level II alert warning for Mount Sinabung since the month of May, prompting the Indonesian government to evacuate villagers around Sinabung for safety, among them being villagers from Gurukinayan Village.

Suri Mutia Siregar, M.Psi., a lecturer at the Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), Medan, Indonesia, supervised a team consisting of students from the Faculty of Psychology and the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara, to research the psychological well-being of the survivors and refugees from Gurukinayan Village. The team found that, despite the tragic loss of their family members or relatives and the significant damage to property and livelihood, the villagers live in relative harmony while in close vicinity of the volcano. They have an excellent awareness of natural disasters and are vigilant to sudden activities and eruptions from Sinabung.

Nini Galoh Oral Tradition Ritual

The research team conducted qualitative research using 12 ethnographic steps: 1) identify informants, 2) informants interview, 3) ethnographic recording, 4) descriptive questions interview, 5) interview analysis, 6) domain analysis, 7) structured interview, 8) taxonomy analysis, 9) contrasting questions interview, 10) formulation of components of analysis, 11) identify cultural themes, and 12) ethnographical write-up. Through the procedure, the team found that the villagers’ resilience and harmonious coexistence towards disasters are founded on heritage wisdom called the Nini Galoh oral tradition.

The Nini Galoh tradition involves a ceremonial ritual to revere the ancestors of Gurukinayan Village. The villagers, alongside the village elders, conduct a series of communal rites that they believe maintain their connection to their ancestors. The ceremony becomes a means through which all generations are reminded of the messages of wisdom they inherited, such as: 1) the Gurukinayan Village lies on blessed land, safe from the ravages of volcanic materials such as lava; 2) the villagers trust each other on their bond of kinship, everyone helps each other in need readily during trying times; 3) the villagers are intimate with the layout of their land, allowing quick response and navigation during disaster evacuations, and; 4) the villagers are highly adaptable to change in livelihood as situation calls.

Focus Group Discussion on the Influence of Nini Galoh Oral Tradition to Mt. Sinabung Eruption Survivors

With funding from the Directorate of Learning and Student Affairs from the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, the USU team believes that the core philosophy and positive messaging of the Nini Galoh oral tradition contribute significantly to the development of psychological well-being of Mount Sinabung survivors, namely in aspects of self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, environmental mastery, and personal growth. The team recommends that the local and central government and responsible bodies allow volcanic eruption survivors and refugees in Indonesia to embrace their local wisdom, potentially reducing psychological burdens and encouraging acceptance and harmonious living with natural disasters. Considering that Indonesia lies on the Ring of Fire volcanic belt, and there are vulnerable communities and settlements living close to each of the hundreds of active volcanoes across the archipelago, this recommendation might contribute to the literature on psychological well-being for better disaster response nationwide.

First day on campus

Posted on by Prisha Dandwani

For many, the month of August represents new beginnings, especially with international students preparing for short or long trips to the next stage of their educational journey. With change in the air, what are universities doing to welcome an incoming cohort? Prisha Dandwani writes. 

An education goes well beyond a piece of paper; those years of hard work that culminate in a certificate. It is a significant and pivotal experience that helps shape the future of new students.

On a personal level, we all may be familiar with what it is like to send family members off to university or even able to reminisce about the anxiety and giddiness we felt when we first stepped on campus.

What appears to be more opaque is what goes on behind the scenes at universities before and during orientation. QS Insights Magazine sits down with a few universities to gain a clearer perspective on their experience.

Laying the foundation

Universities and colleges around the globe may have varied term start dates yet the depth of preparation for onboarding material and programmes is similar across the board.

Director of Communications at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) in New Zealand, Alison Sykora, tells QS Insights Magazine that students’ first semester usually starts at the beginning of February. In 2022, AUT welcomed approximately 2,700 international students and reports that though final figures are not yet released, that number has increased this year.

“At AUT, orientation is considered the start of the university’s 8-week transition programme called ‘Getting Started’,” Sykora explains.

The programme has been designed to guide students across university services covering four major themes: study success, specialised student support, health and wellbeing, and study life. Preparation for orientation week begins five months prior.

“This encompasses review, feedback from orientation week the year before, event and logistics management, a 6-week communications plan to promote orientation events, design of new student webpages, and the craft and design of transition content to link to online and on-campus events,” adds Sykora.

At the University of Hong Kong (HKU), where they expect to onboard 3,500 students this month, preparation for orientation is similar to AUT.

“We started our preparation for new students a few months ago in May,” says Professor Samson Tse, Dean of Student Affairs. “In terms of preparing activities for orientation week, we looked at feedback data from the students who participated the previous year and we implemented new initiatives.

“For example, we are working hard on introducing the Future Readiness Initiative. The initiative consists of support in the fields of academic life, research methods, innovation and entrepreneurship, personal development and social skills, and career and networking.”

Tse explains that these introductory courses have been created especially for first year students to successfully integrate into university life. The intent is to build a strong foundation for today’s students in light of current developments in higher education and employability.

Creating home away from home

Professor Tse also points to a sense of identity and belonging as an essential pillar for integrating new students into life at HKU. “I think one of the most important things is to make the new students feel welcome as it is the beginning of a new journey,” he says.

“A lot of the time, new students are very concerned about new subjects and a new mode of study. A second major concern is to do with relationships, whether they are going to be able to build new friendships and networks.”

At the Centre of Development and Resources For Students of HKU (Cedars), introductory sessions consist of new students getting into small groups with a facilitator to share more about themselves and mingle. The university’s active role in assisting these discussions is important to ensure everyone feels included and supported as they build new connections.

AUT shares similar goals. The university is equally committed to ensuring students feel connected when beginning their studies at the university and works hard to ensure that.

“Peer advisors and current AUT students carry an outbound phone campaign calling all new students, assuring them they have made the right choice to study at AUT, welcoming them, as well as preparing them for the orientation event,” describes Sykora.

This “orientation event, or programme, is designed to include undergraduate, postgraduate and international cohorts. The structure of the day is split into ‘Pōwhiri, Faculty, and Support Services’.

Pōwhiri*, a Māori welcome ritual, is held at the beginning of each day and emphasises inclusion within the student community and staff. The Faculty section of the programme focuses on traditional faculty sessions where course leads, lecturers and key staff provide an overview of their programs. There is also a lead-in AUT 101 session wherein current students, called student ambassadors, present tips on how to get the most of the first year experience through an interactive session.

Support Services encompass engaging sessions with AUT’s support services like IT, library academic sessions, student services and specialised offerings from communities like Rainbow, Disability, Pacifica and Māori.

The result is a student-centred experience wherein throughout the first few weeks, student ambassadors, as well as current AUT students are connected.

“An important focus of the design of Orientation is to also allow us to embed the principles of Pōwhiri and a greater reflection of Matauranga Maori* within the orientation programme,” says Sykora.

“AUT also has a Student Readiness Survey, which is sent to new students a week after Orientation. Students assess themselves in terms of their confidence levels in stating university, time management, personal commitment, academic and technology skills.”

The survey also covers any personal needs in areas such as accommodation, financial advice and support to make friends. Based on their responses, students are given tailor made information and contacted by the appropriate student support teams.

*Powhiri: The pōwhiri recognises the coming together of two groups that are separated not only physically but also spiritually. It is a profound acknowledgement that we are all creatures of a spiritual realm.

*Matauranga Maori: The term mātauranga Māori literally means Māori knowledge and is closely aligned to the period of pre-European contact as it encompasses traditional concepts of knowledge and knowing that Māori ancestors brought with them to Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Read the full article from QS Insights Magazine, Issue 7.