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Month: July 2024

Security in research

Posted on by Julia Gilmore

Research collaboration is one of the key markers of success for a university, particularly with international partners. It’s an opportunity for institutions to widen the scope of their influence, enhance innovation and prove that they are important players on the global stage. However, in an uncertain political climate, universities must take steps to consider how to keep sensitive research secure from potentially hostile foreign states, while still ensuring that researchers have the freedom to work with other academics across the world.

In April, a consultation led by former UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden was announced to protect universities from national security threats posed by foreign states. The initiative followed warnings from MI5 and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) about foreign states targeting UK universities to advance their authoritarian, military and commercial goals, particularly through acquiring cutting-edge technology.

During a security briefing with Vice Chancellors from 24 leading UK universities (the Russell Group), Dowden emphasised the need to balance openness and security. The consultation focused on protecting sensitive research with potential dual civilian and military uses and preventing dependency on foreign investment.

Dr Andrew Walsh, Executive Director of Research & Business Engagement at the UK’s University of Manchester, was keen to emphasise to QS Insights Magazine the importance of government guidance in research security: “The government has an incredibly important role to play in helping keep research secure through advice [including advisory bodies such as RCAT and NPSA] and policies like export controls and ATAS. We all have our part to play in protecting research security, while enabling academic freedom within the law.”

Tobin Smith, Senior Vice President for Government Relations and Public Policy at AAU is at the forefront of matters relating to international research collaboration, plus regulatory and compliance issues. “Universities take ensuring the security and integrity of the research they conduct on behalf of the federal government very seriously. They are already taking important steps to ensure research security, including implementing new and enhanced foreign visitor policies to better monitor, and in some instances restrict, visitors (including international visitors) to specific laboratories on university campuses,” he says.

“Additionally, universities are reviewing international collaborations, contracts, and foreign gifts to assess potential risks involved in such engagements; in some instances, they choose not to enter into such agreements because of research security risks.”

Certain areas of research are under the microscope more than others when it comes to their potential to be used against a country’s national security interests, particularly those with military or scientific applications. However, it isn’t only academics in specific fields who need to follow government guidelines.

Dr Walsh explains how the University of Manchester advises researchers in all faculty areas to consider how their work may be used: “Research may be applied in different ways that weren’t intended by the researcher, so we encourage all staff to think about the risks of ‘dual use’ and make sure they comply with the relevant legislation. We also keep aware of the particular risks involved in emerging technologies.”

Smith echoes Dr Walsh, with the AAU considering not only the focus of the research, but the potential usage: “While there is often a great deal of focus and concern of theft and academic integrity surrounding certain ‘sensitive’ areas of research and critical and emerging technologies [for example, AI, quantum computing, biotechnology], perhaps more important is assessing the nature and technical readiness level (TRL) of the research involved. It is important to keep fundamental research for which an application is still unclear open if science is to advance, even in these areas of research.

“It is also important that we not overlook the need to protect the integrity and the security of certain data on all research projects, even fundamental research like pre-publication data/information and certain intellectual property like grant proposals under review by US federal agencies.”

Unfortunately, there are concerns of overreach by governments in protecting research could lead to a decline in global collaboration and reduce the value of research. International research collaboration is beneficial for several reasons, such as diversity of perspectives, sharing of resources, talent mobility, and perhaps most importantly, tackling challenges such as climate change, pandemics and food security, which are global and require coordinated international efforts.

Professor Milligan is a keen proponent of international collaboration, saying: “While geopolitical realities do influence the international partnerships that the University of Waterloo enters into, and institutional collaborations are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, we remain convinced that international collaboration is necessary to tackle the profound international challenges that face our world today, from climate change to international governance.

“We have been working closely with partners in the US, in Europe and the UK, in Australia and elsewhere to work to develop shared approaches on research security.”

This is a point echoed by Dr Walsh, who describes the approach taken by the University of Manchester when considering research partners: “Research is a global endeavour of opportunities and operational challenges. We aim to continue to produce world-class research with impact which yields economic, environmental, health, social and cultural benefits across the world. We are committed to encouraging and enabling global collaborations to address major global challenges.

“We also recognise that we must navigate complexity to operate in this global environment. This includes regulations concerning potential risks to national security, and the moral and practical considerations when collaborating with partners in low-income countries or in conflict zones, for example.”

The AAU have previously warned about excessive regulation stifling international research efforts, as Smith explains: “We have opposed and been fighting against some legislatives proposals we believe would stifle the ability of our universities and greatly discourage their faculty to engaging in important international collaborations, such as the DETERRENT Act.

“We must make sure that such proposals strike the right balance between ensuring security and integrity while at the same time protecting the critical need for science to be open and scientific results to be shared. Proposals that seek to overly restrict or control research results could have a counter-productive impact on US scientific advancement, economic leadership and our national security.”

Read the article on QS Insights Magazine.

Highlighting Lingnan’s digital strengths at Asia-wide conference

Posted on by Editorial Team

Lingnan University was well represented at a recent prestigious conference that brought together leading academics and policymakers from around the region. The focus of the Times Higher Education’s Digital Universities Asia 2024, which took place in Bali from 1 to 3 July, was the transformation now being seen in two important areas.

One involved the steps academic institutions are taking to become more accessible and inclusive environments. The other centred on groundbreaking developments in the zone where education and technology intersect, in particular how innovative tools like generative AI will reshape diverse aspects of university life.

In a keynote speech, Lingnan’s President S. Joe Qin addressed the topic of “Reimagining Higher Education in the Age of AI”. He assessed the evolving impact of the digital revolution and what it means for curriculum content, teaching methodologies, research projects, and the overall concept of education in arts and sciences.

He noted that AI can already work on cognitive tasks, if not physical ones like cooking or cleaning. However, the rate of advances in autonomous driving, large language models (LLMs), and GPTs (generative pre-trained transformers) indicate the possibilities of using knowledge gained from data.

In May last year, ChatGPT was asked what it can bring to the field of higher education. The answers included easy access and enabling individuals or groups to generate content such as essays, poems, summaries, lyrics and code based on user input and preferences. Also mentioned were the feedback and suggestions given to improve content. ChatGPT claimed too that it can be integrated into liberal arts and AI courses and projects to enhance learning outcomes and engagement.

For universities, the key question is whether this will lead to some majors being discontinued and others being created or expanded. There are also implications for how students are taught, what skills are expected of them, and what is left to learn.

“We still want our students to build critical thinking skills, especially high-order thinking,” said Professor Qin, who is also Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science at Lingnan. “And we need to instil our value system, so that we control AI, not the other way round.”

In July 2023, the university committed to making ChatGPT and subsequent releases available for everyone on campus. It also encouraged proposals for several new undergraduate programmes in arts and social sciences with more digitally relevant content. Starting in September 2024, all freshmen will take a common core course on generative AI to ensure they have the basic know-how and apply it.

Similarly important is a plan to promote the concept of digital humanities. The aim is to study the meaning and making of human culture, finding new insights through geographical information systems, data visualisation, network analysis, and text mining.

“History, for example, will become a lot more interesting and accessible,” Professor Qin said. “My message is that humans are at the centre of the post-AI world. In higher education, we have to adapt; we cannot expect to teach things that AI will replace effectively and efficiently.”

UNAIR FIKKIA, CMU Philippines conduct On the Job Training programme

Posted on by Universitas Airlangga News

The Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Natural Sciences (FIKKIA) Banyuwangi has successfully held the “On the Job Training (OJT) at FIKKIA Universitas Airlangga.” This program is the initial result of a collaboration between the College of Veterinary Medicine, Central Mindanao University (CMU) and the Veterinary Medicine Study Program at FIKKIA. Conducted from April 22 to May 10, 2024, the program provided CMU students with the opportunity to engage in various practical activities designed to expand their knowledge and skills in the field of veterinary medicine.

CMU students involved in these activities were Bernard Vincent Diaz Calo, Kyla Gabas, Hannah Portia Luberas, Jeila Golosino, Leralyn Gonzales, and Lourdes Faye Cablay. They are students in the internship phase in Veterinary Medicine in the Philippines. The On the Job Training (OJT) activities included microbiological analysis, molecular diagnostics, animal product processing, veterinary health examinations, and parasitology examinations on wild animals. Furthermore, they studied reproductive diagnostics, artificial insemination, conservation in Baluran National Park, and a computer-based final exam (CBT).

Bernard Vincent Diaz Carlo admitted that he gained a lot of new knowledge and experience at FIKKIA. He also enjoyed the opportunity to visit several tourist attractions in Banyuwangi, making the experience both educational and enjoyable. Meanwhile, Lourdes Faye Cablay reported that on May 17, 2024, they presented a narrative report of activities during the OJT to Jose M Obedencio Jr as Dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Central Mindanao University. “Dr. Jose was very enthusiastic to hear about our experiences. Thank you to the lecturers and students of FIKKIA. We are very grateful for this experience,” she said.

With the end of the OJT program, FIKKIA UNAIR and CMU have successfully built a strong foundation for collaboration in Veterinary Medicine. This program\’s success not only enriched the students’ knowledge and skills but also strengthened the academic collaboration between the two institutions. Dr Aditya Yudhana hoped that this collaboration could continue and develop. It can, in particular, benefit students and the veterinary world, both in Indonesia and the Philippines.

From bench to market

Posted on by daphneng

Many have wondered if eating a local delicacy – frog porridge – sparked the development of a wound-healing collagen product made from bullfrog skin in Singapore.

“But the leap from porridge to science wasn’t how it happened,” says Assoc Prof Dalton Tay, one of the developers of the innovation from NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering.

Instead, the researchers had been looking for an eco-friendly source of collagen from Singapore when their search led them to discarded bullfrog skins from farms near their laboratories.

Together with Assoc Prof Tan Nguan Soon from the University’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Assoc Prof Tay is upcycling the skins to create clinical-grade collagen patches that can accelerate the healing of chronic wounds.

NTU’s innovation and enterprise company, NTUitive, exclusively licensed the patented technology to local medtech firm Cuprina Wound Care Solutions in 2022. NTUitive comes under the NTU Innovation and Enterprise (NTU I&E) initiative, which seeks to nurture entrepreneurs by mentoring and supporting students, faculty and alumni looking to turn their ideas into market-ready products.

After setting up a lab to scale up its commercial production, Cuprina is now planning clinical trials at local hospitals.

“Licensing allows us to focus on innovation and scientific advancement while leveraging the business acumen and market presence of established companies like Cuprina,” says Assoc Prof Tay.

Developing wound healing patches made of amphibian skin is one example of how NTU scientists are creating game-changing solutions to real-world problems.

In fact, the United Kingdom-based global information services provider Clarivate listed NTU as the No. 7 research organisation globally for the greatest number of research papers referenced by the inventions of Clarivate’s top 100 global innovators.

Says Prof Louis Phee, Vice President (Innovation and Entrepreneurship): “We’ve set up an ecosystem where NTU students, graduates and faculty members with guts and ideas can create an innovation and spin off a company from it, while being supported by the University.”

Leap, license, launch

While Assoc Prof Tay and Assoc Prof Tan chose to license their technology, other NTU scientists have dived into entrepreneurship.

Dr Shi Xu, former Associate Professor at NTU’s School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), is a pioneer in Singapore’s deep-tech startup ecosystem. In 1999, he founded Nanofilm Technologies International (NTI), which provides advanced nanomaterial solutions using vacuum coating technologies and processes that Dr Shi invented and patented during his tenure at NTU.

Since spinning off from NTU, Nanofilm has become the first local deep-tech unicorn to be listed on the Singapore Exchange. It continues to expand into growing areas in nanotechnology to keep up with market demand.

The company has presence in Europe, China, Vietnam and Japan, and is constructing a 44,000-sqm mega plant in Vietnam.

In 2023, Nanofilm and NTU launched the NTI-NTU Corporate Lab, a multimillion-dollar facility supported by Singapore’s public sector that brings industry together with academia to develop next-generation nanotechnology solutions.

Reflecting on his technopreneurial journey, Dr Shi explains that scientists face common challenges when turning their research into a business: “Scientists often dive too deeply into research and may miss the sweet spot for commercialisation.”

Dr Shi emphasises the importance of being commercially savvy and having skills in areas such as effective business structuring and people management.

Finding harmony between science and business is not a one-person job, as seen in the partnership between Assoc Prof Darren Sun from NTU’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Mr Wong Ann Chai, formerly an adjunct professor at NTU’s Nanyang Business School.

Assoc Prof Sun has decades of research expertise in nanomaterials and, as an esteemed International Water Association Fellow, he was interested in using advanced additive manufacturing to produce membranes. Meanwhile, Mr Wong has prior experience as a banker helping companies raise capital and go public.

In 2013, this meeting of minds birthed Nanosun, a spinoff that uses 3D-printed nanomaterials to manufacture cutting-edge membranes for water treatment and renewable energy applications.

“NTUitive was instrumental in our growth in the early years by providing an incubator and competencies as well as helping us access grants,” says Mr Wong, Nanosun’s Managing Director.

“We’ve learnt a lot from NTU and it’s time for us to see how we can do more.”

Starting with microfiltration and ultrafiltration flat sheet membranes, Nanosun has deployed water treatment solutions in Singapore, Indonesia, China and Taiwan, particularly for industrial wastewater treatment. The spinoff has secured million-dollar contracts, bagged awards and established its presence in the Asia Pacific.

Innovating with industry

Speed is key to staying competitive in translational research, and leveraging the expertise of an industry partner could be helpful. NTU’s industry partnerships with major corporations, such as Continental, Schaeffler and HP, seamlessly bridge this bench-to-industry gap.

“We assess the complementary resources and capabilities each party brings to the table to ensure a collaboration that can eventually bring about impact to the research and development ecosystem,” says Prof Lam Khin Yong, NTU’s Vice President (Industry).

By working with industry, NTU researchers are attuned to real-world pain points. Applying their findings back in the lab, they enhance the impact and relevance of their research by crafting solutions that address market needs.

For instance, technology company Continental and NTU formed a corporate lab in 2019 that receives support through the National Research Foundation, an agency that sets Singapore’s direction for research and development.

“The lab’s research contributes to Continental’s strategy in developing new products and services in artificial intelligence (AI), future mobility, cyber security, wireless technologies and more,” says Dr David Woon, Director (Academic Liaison) at Continental and Co-Director of the Continental-NTU Corporate Lab.

The lab is working with public transport operator Go-Ahead Singapore to enhance the driving safety management systems of Go-Ahead’s buses. In the tie-up, NTU researchers built an AI model that predicts potential accidents and alerts fleet operators to abnormal driving patterns that indicate a heightened chance of accidents.

In 2023, the lab started piloting the system on 10 Go-Ahead buses and collected driving data to refine their AI model and enable more accurate predictions.

Partnerships with industry also lead to research that enhances the quality of education, resulting in training that can benefit industry, says NTU’s Prof Lam Kwok Yan, Associate Vice President (Strategy and Partnerships).

For instance, a joint lab between Mastercard and NTU not only conducts cyber security research, but also offers relevant skills training and education programmes to better equip students for future careers in cyber security and digital trust and further research in these areas.

“This builds a talent pipeline with critical research and operational skills that are in short supply in industry,” adds Prof Lam, who co-leads the Mastercard-NTU joint lab.

At a joint lab between automotive and industrial components supplier Schaeffler and NTU, scientists and students work with Schaeffler employees to develop insights from application-driven research projects that flow directly into the development of new products and technological solutions.

“The company-on-campus concept enables intensive exchange and close cooperation between our employees and doctoral candidates and students from NTU on future-oriented research projects,” says Dr Alvin Wong, Head of Digital Transformation Asia/Pacific at Schaeffler and Deputy Director of the joint lab called the Schaeffler Hub for Advanced Research (SHARE) at NTU.

The lab focuses on expanding the state of advanced innovation and technology in areas like robotics and Industry 4.0. It also plans to venture into professional service robotics. To date, it has over 40 invention disclosures, with 17 patents awarded.

One success story is the Dual EXtendable (DEX) autonomous mobile robot designed to work with shopfloor employees to boost productivity in industrial settings.

DEX can communicate with different robots, recognise speech and gestures, and avoid obstacles, including moving ones.

Building tools for societal good

Multi-institutional collaborations involving academics, policymakers and industry players bring together diverse expertise and perspectives. Through this, research findings can be translated to benefit industry and the broader community.

Prof Theng Yin Leng and Dr Vered Seidmann from NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information gained these insights from working with the Workplace Safety and Health Institute at Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower and the Republic’s Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC).

Together with Dr Seidmann and six co-investigators from the School, Prof Theng spearheaded the creation of a digital tool that measures a company’s level of workplace safety and provides recommendations for improvement.

The tool has now been launched by WSHC as a free online company administered assessment platform called iOwnWSH, as part of Singapore’s goal to foster a no-blame culture and a mindset that workplace accidents are preventable.

“The tool is particularly useful for high-risk industries such as construction, logistics and transportation, marine, services and manufacturing. Being a free tool, it would also benefit small- and medium-sized enterprises that often have limited budgets for their safety department,” says Dr Seidmann.

Gamified solutions, such as pictorial card games featuring common workplace hazards and good practices, were also created. The researchers are working to advance these solutions further and intend to partner companies from high-risk industries to test them.

“We realised that it’s important to use pictures when communicating workplace safety and health ownership. With our gamified solutions, we want to turn routine safety briefings into something fun and easy to understand,” adds Prof Theng.

Another assessment tool resulting from a multi-institutional tie-up is the Singapore Ability Scales (SAS). A collaboration between NTU, the National Institute of Education (NIE) at the University, Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE) and test publisher GL Assessments, SAS is a commercially available psychometric tool administered to students to comprehensively evaluate the cognitive abilities important for learning and educational development.

NIE’s Prof Kenneth Poon explains that tests developed in other countries are not tailored to Singapore’s context and norms, impeding the accurate assessment of children’s cognitive abilities.

Together with MOE’s Adjunct Assoc Prof Mariam Aljunied, Prof Poon and his NIE team adapted the British Ability Scales by modifying the item instructions, stimuli and scoring rules for Singapore’s context. They also conducted the test with 2,000 local children and youths to create an appropriate benchmarking sample for performance comparison.

SAS provides key information to facilitate school placement decisions for children with special educational needs in Singapore. “We now have a test that gives results we are confident in, which is very important when we advise parents on how best to support their children,” says Prof Poon. “At least a quarter of psychologists in Singapore have also been trained to administer this test.”

Movers and shakers

Translational research is driven by passionate people who bring innovative ideas to life. To groom forward-thinking talent, NTU seeds the entrepreneurship spirit in students.

“My co-founders and I were students of a Minor in Entrepreneurship course offered at the NTU Entrepreneurship Academy (NTUpreneur) during our undergraduate studies,” recounts Dr Rex Tan, Chief Technology Officer of Aevice Health, an NTU spinoff that develops medical devices to monitor patients with respiratory diseases. “That experience certainly helped us appreciate entrepreneurship in a structured way.”

The company invented AeviceMD, a smart wearable stethoscope that continuously analyses chest sounds to monitor vital signs and detect early signs of worsening respiratory disease.

During his PhD studies at NTU’s EEE, Dr Tan witnessed NTUitive helping research groups spin off technologies. Both he and Aevice Health co-founder Mr Adrian Ang later experienced this when NTUitive provided advice and linked them up with industry stakeholders from the start of their entrepreneurial journey.

Aevice Health has secured regulatory approval for AeviceMD in Singapore and the United States, and continues to grow its pipeline of commercial and pilot partners locally and internationally.

Looking ahead, Dr Tan sees NTU as a launchpad for projecting Singapore medtech innovation globally.

Another pair of NTU graduates who spun off a company from the University are VFlowTech co-founders Dr Avishek Kumar and Dr Arjun Bhattarai. Their spinoff develops vanadium flow batteries for large-scale and long-term storage of renewable energy like solar energy.

Since its 2018 inception, VFlowTech has raised US$13 million (S$17.3 million). Its PowerCube technology was deployed to provide sustainable electricity to Singapore’s Pulau Ubin island. PowerCube has also been deployed in several Asia-Pacific countries and Africa.

NTU I&E is also working to encourage more students, graduates and faculty members to dare to dream the startup dream. It does this through NTUpreneur, which aims to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset in the NTU community.

Says Prof Phee, who leads NTU I&E: “Unlike other places where you’re short of ideas or technology, we are full of them at NTU. We’re trying to nudge people to try out entrepreneurship and translate these ideas to the next level as an enterprise.”

Living in a plastic world: Tackling plastic pollution

Posted on by daphneng

Plastic pollution has emerged as one of our most pressing environmental issues with the increasing use of disposable plastics. As they are non-biodegradable, plastics accumulate in the environment, altering habitats and natural processes. Millions of wildlife are also trapped by plastic waste every year.

When plastics break down, they release toxic compounds that contaminate the environment. They also disintegrate into small pieces of plastic called microplastics. Microplastics are now found all over the globe and are linked to severe health effects such as metabolic disorders and organ damage.

Recycling plastics reduces the amount of plastic waste that would otherwise be discarded and conserves natural resources. However, only about 10 per cent of plastic is currently recycled around the world. The figure is low in part because recycling some types of plastic, such as e-waste and marine plastic litter, is difficult. Chemical reactions that break down plastics into simpler components to be reused are also energy intensive.

From using e-waste plastics to culture cells to developing a greener method that breaks down plastics, researchers at NTU Singapore are solving some of the biggest challenges that stand in the way of recycling plastics and making strides in reducing plastic pollution.

Repurposing e-waste plastics to grow “mini tumours” for laboratory testing

Plastics comprise a large portion of electronic waste (e-waste), and rapid technological advances, and high consumer demand drives its growing use in electronics. According to a UN report, the generation of e-waste is rising five times faster than the official recycling rate figures show. In 2022, e-waste generated 17 million tonnes of plastic globally.

Single-use plastics are also widely used in research and healthcare applications such as cell culture.

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is an e-plastic commonly used in the housings of devices such as keyboards and laptops. Repurposing plastics such as ABS for high value biomedical applications could be an attractive waste-to-resource strategy for effectively reducing plastic waste.

NTU scientists have developed a synthetic matrix to culture cells using ABS from discarded keyboards. The matrix is porous like a sponge and functions as a support structure, providing a framework for cells to attach and grow.

The matrix can culture spherical clusters of cells, called cancer spheroids, that resemble actual tumours. Due to their 3D shape, these “mini tumours” more accurately represent tumours than conventional cell cultures.

To fabricate the matrix, the scientists dissolved plastic scraps from discarded keyboards in an organic solvent, acetone and poured the solution into a mould.

The matrix supported the growth of breast, colorectal and bone cancer spheroids. The cancer spheroids had properties similar to those grown using commercially available matrices and may be used for biomedical applications such as drug testing.

“Our innovation not only offers a practical means to reuse e-waste plastics but could also reduce the use of new plastics in the biomedical industry,” said Assoc Prof Dalton Tay of NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering, who led the research.

The research was reported in Resources, Conservation & Recycling in 2024.

Converting hard-to-recycle plastic waste into hydrogen and carbon additives for polymer foams

While some types of plastics can be repurposed into new products, it is not as easy to recycle other kinds of plastics. Household plastics, packaging waste and marine plastic litter recovered from the environment are all examples of plastic waste that are difficult to recycle. There are also limited economic benefits to treating mixed and contaminated plastics.

Researchers from NTU explored using difficult-to-recycle plastics as a source of solid carbon material for application in polymer foams. The researchers first obtained gas and oil by heating different types of plastic waste at high temperatures (600 degrees Celsius) in the absence of oxygen. Then the gas and oil were heated at over 1000 degrees Celsius to break down the molecules into solid carbon and hydrogen. The solid carbon can be added to polymer foam to increase its strength and resistance to abrasion for cushioning applications. The foam containing the synthesised solid carbon derived from plastic waste exhibited properties comparable to other carbon-based and conventional reinforcing materials available on the market.

At the same time, the hydrogen produced could be collected and used as fuel.

Published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials in 2024, the research is a milestone in finding a use for plastic waste that previously could not be recycled. “We have developed a feasible approach to repurpose hard-to-recycle plastics, which is an important aspect of the circular economy,” said lead investigator Assoc Prof Grzegorz Lisak of NTU’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

A bright way to break down plastics into valuable compounds

Although plastics can be broken down by heating them at high temperatures, such processes are energy intensive and generate greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming.

Addressing the need for greener methods of breaking down plastics, NTU scientists have developed a process that can upcycle most plastics into chemical compounds useful for energy storage. The reaction uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a commercially available catalyst and occurs at room temperature. It can break down a wide range of plastics, including polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene, all commonly used in packaging and discarded as plastic waste.

Compared to conventional plastic recycling methods, the process requires much less energy.

First, the plastics are dissolved in the organic solvent called dichloromethane, making the plastic polymer chains more accessible to the photocatalyst. The solution is then mixed with the catalyst and flowed through transparent tubes where LED light shines on it.

The light provides the initial energy to break the carbon-carbon bonds in a two-step process with the help of the vanadium catalyst. The plastics’ carbon-hydrogen bonds are oxidised, which makes them less stable and more reactive. After that, the carbon-carbon bonds are broken down.

The resulting end products are compounds such as formic acid and benzoic acid, which can be used to make other chemicals employed in fuel cells and liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) – organic compounds that can absorb and release hydrogen through chemical reactions. LOHCs are being explored by the energy sector as a storage media for hydrogen.

According to Assoc Prof Han Soo Sen of NTU’s School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, who led the study, the breakthrough not only provides a potential answer to the growing plastic waste problem but also reuses the carbon trapped in these plastics instead of releasing it into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases through incineration.

The method was reported in the journal Chem in 2023.

FISIP USU communication students hold digital media literacy socialisation in schools to overcome low literacy levels in Indonesia

Posted on by Jiovanie Munthe

The widespread use of social media is unavoidable in today’s digital era. The young generation are the ones who will determine the future of Indonesia’s media literacy. Based on a survey conducted by the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2019, Indonesia ranked 62nd out of 70 countries, or the bottom 10 countries with low literacy levels.

Although the literacy rate in Indonesia is still relatively low, Indonesians actively use the internet, especially in terms of online shopping and social media usage. Data shows that everyone has at least one mobile device with a fairly high percentage of social media users, which is 60% of the total population.

Due to this particular issue, the Communication Science student groups of Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik (FISIP) of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) held socializations at SMK Perguruan Nasional Brigjend Katamso 1 and SMAS Prayatna Medan that involved a total of 81 students. These activities were held on May 15 and 22, 2024 with two themes: “Recognizing ‘Infinite Scroll’ Addiction in Teenagers” and “How Ads and Clicks Shape the Internet and Deconstruction Media Message”.

The purpose of these socializations are to raise students’ awareness about the importance of literacy in the digital era, provide knowledge about the dangers of excessive use of smartphones and social media, and teach them how to limit and moderate their time on social media.

In addition, these socialization s also aim to provide a basic understanding of how to be wise in media literacy, identify good and bad advertisements and clicks, to understand the deconstruction of digital media in the digital era.

In this socialization, the college students educated the students in each school about life in a digital world filled with information and communication technology that continues to grow, facilitating human work, especially with the existence of smartphones that are being used every day and had become an inseparable aspect in our lives.

However, on a smartphone, there are many dangers that might go unnoticed. One of them is the bad habit of surfing in social media until you lose track of time. One can feel too comfortable on social media because of infinite scrolling, a feature where the social media continues to display content without limit or end. This leads to the “inability to stop scrolling on social media” as the algorithm displays content that matches the user’s interests.

Through this socialization, the college students hope that the students that they taught can apply the fundamental aspects of media literacy, such as how to moderate the use of smartphones, be aware of why we can’t stop scrolling, be aware of the harmful effects that are caused by social media, be able to differentiate good and bad clicks, understand the deconstruction of media messages, act wisely and critically in the use of digital media, and help educate family, friends, and the surrounding environment who have not been exposed to this knowledge.

Test kit for THC amount in Cannabis products — Chula innovation to reduce health risk, increase consumer safety

Posted on by Chulalongkorn University

Chulalongkorn University Researchers have developed an electrochemical strip Test for the amount of THC which is the psychoactive agent in Cannabis. A highly sensitive, non-laboratory test kit yields fast, accurate results, helps ensure consumers’ safety and reduces the risk of ingesting harmful substances.

After the unlocking of cannabis from narcotic drugs to be a controlled medicinal plant, cannabis has now been widely used in various products, including cooking and mixing in beverages, citing the various health benefits of cannabis.

But anything that has benefits can also have drawbacks. Cannabis contains more than 400 different substances, with the two most important substances that are often mentioned being CBD (Cannabidiol) for medicinal purposes, and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), a substance that is harmful to the body, can affect the nervous system, cause intoxication, and hallucinations. What is most dangerous is that overconsumption and allergies to THC can be fatal. Therefore, the Announcement of the Ministry of Public Health stipulates that the amount of THC in food and beverages must not exceed 2%, otherwise it will be considered narcotics.

How will consumers know if cannabis products are free of harmful substances?

Dr. Sudkate Chaiyo, a researcher at the Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Research, Chulalongkorn University, has developed an innovative “Rapid electrochemical strip test for THC amount” by adding to the knowledge on ATK test kit development that works with electrochemistry for the diagnosis and screening of COVID-19 produced by Thai people.

“Currently, the measurement of THC must be done in the laboratory with large instruments and the process is quite complicated. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the main agency that is responsible for the screening of THC substances in cannabis products. Therefore, we have developed an electrochemical strip test to allow consumers to initially check for THC themselves for more confidence and safety in consuming foods or beverages containing cannabis, Dr. Sudkate said.

Portable, easy-to-use THC test for measuring hazardous substances at the nanoscale

Dr. Sudkate said that although the chemical structure of CBD and THC in cannabis is quite similar, each strain of cannabis has a different CBD and THC amount. However, the electrochemical strip test for assessing the amount of THC is sensitive enough to accurately measure the THC value and is similar to the assay using the High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) technique, which is the standard method used to detect the amount of THC.

“This test serves as a sensor that quickly measures the amount of THC in a certain food or drink with a high detection sensitivity, even if only 1.3 ng/mL of THC is detected.”

Dr. Sudkhet revealed that the efficacy of the kit comes from the integration of two sciences: rapid measurement of the lateral flow immunoassay test strips and high sensitivity measurement of electrochemical techniques.

“The test kit uses the same principles as the COVID-19 ATK test, so it’s easy to use. Just mix the cannabis-infused food or drink with the solution specific to the test strip and drip 2 drops onto the test strip, then wait about 6 minutes to read the results from the smartphone connected to the device.”

Electrochemical test strip kits are portable, easy to use, and inexpensive (costing 20 baht each). Dr. Sudkate hopes for the test to be an alternative way to assess the amount of THC outside the laboratory. This will be suitable for users in the group that need to use cannabis products and staff who are responsible for monitoring and controlling the amount of THC in cannabis-infused products.

“This electrochemical strip test will help prevent people from accidentally consuming harmful substances, control the amount of cannabis to a safe level, and reduce the risk of accidents or harm to the body from THC,” Dr. Sudkate said.

This innovation received the Invention Award 2024 from the National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT).

The Future of Strip Test — A Simple device to help with disease screening

Dr. Sudkate and the researchers from the Chula Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering continue to strive to develop a platform in the form of strip tests in conjunction with electrochemistry for medical use. Currently, the team is developing electrochemistry strip tests for venereal disease screening, a disease that Thai teenagers are at risk of developing and do not dare to consult a doctor. The team is also working on electrochemical strip test kits to screen for people at high risk of contracting Streptococcus Suis from eating raw pork, etc.

Entrepreneurs interested in co-developing electrochemical strip tests to screen THC content for commercial production can contact Dr. Sudkate Chaiyo, Chulalongkorn University Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Research Institute, Tel. 0-2218-8056 E-mail: [email protected].

Read more at: https://www.chula.ac.th/en/highlight/173973/

ITS Hosts First-Ever Indoor Handball Tournament for ASEAN University Games

Posted on by ITS Global Engagement

ITS proudly hosted the 21st ASEAN University Games (AUG), specifically the indoor handball competition, from 26 – 30 June 2024 at ITS’ Pertamina Sports Hall. The event was participated by students from ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. This year marks the debut of handball in the AUG, making ITS’ role as host especially significant in introducing the sport to the annual ASEAN university students’ sports competitions.

At the Welcome Party on 26 June 2024, ITS’ Rector, Dr. Bambang Pramujati emphasized that the four-day tournament at the ITS campus goes beyond mere competition; it is an opportunity to build friendships, promote cultural exchange, and foster unity among universities in the ASEAN region. He encouraged participants to explore Surabaya and visit tourist-attractions like Mount Bromo. Additionally, Dr. Bambang highlighted ITS dedication to effectively organizing the tournament, including renovating the Pertamina Sports Hall to meet international standards, demonstrating ITS’ commitment to representing Surabaya and Indonesia.

Lastly, Dr. Bambang expressed his hope that hosting the event will spur the growth of handball at ITS, potentially igniting student interest in the sport. He envisions handball becoming one of the Student Activity Units (UKM) at ITS, with the aspiration of eventually producing outstanding handball student-athletes who can join ABTI. Dr. Bambang views this opportunity as a significant step toward promoting handball and enriching the sporting culture at ITS.

ITS’ Sapuangin sweeps first place in regional championship, three awards at Shell eco-marathon Asia-Pacific and Middle East 2024

Posted on by ITS Global Engagement

The Sapuangin team from Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) achieved multiple accomplishments during the energy-efficiency student competition, Shell Eco-marathon Asia-Pacific and the Middle East 2024. This year, the annual competition was held at the Mandalika International Circuit, Lombok, from July 2-6, 2024. There were three major categories and 13 sub-categories being contested, and the team successfully secured four wins with their XI Evo 3 car. The wins were: (1) 1st Place in the Regional Championship; (2) 1st Place in the Urban Concept Internal Combustion Engine on-track sub-category; (3) 2nd Place in the Data and Telemetry Award, supported by Schmid Elektronik off-track sub-category; and (4) 2nd Place in the Safety Award off-track sub-category.

To qualify for the regional championship, the team had to defeat other opponents during the on-track race. Sapuangin’s XI Evo 3 won by outperforming the other six teams. The exceptional performance of the XI Evo 3 surpassed their achievement from last year, improving from 422.9 kilometers per liter to 481.9 kilometers per liter this year. The regional championship is highly competitive, as its format gives teams a small amount of energy based on their results. They have to match the proven energy efficiency of their car with strategy, skill, and speed in a race to cross the finish line first without running out of energy. For their immaculate achievement, Sapuangin will be invited to visit the Ducati Motorcycle factory in Thailand, where they will get a first-hand view behind the scenes of making these bikes and learn from professionals how innovation and motorsport go hand-in-hand.

Rayhan Naufal Hafizh, the General Manager of Sapuangin, highlighted their success to the speed and durability of Sapuangin’s XI Evo 3. “This year, we made several improvements to the transmission and vehicle body. We replaced several vehicle parts from metal with carbon fiber to reduce vehicle weight. We also created a telemetry system to monitor the condition and progress of our vehicles.”

The improved performance of XI Evo 3 also contributed to the second time winning of Sapuangin in the Urban Concept ICE sub-category. Looking ahead, Rayhan expressed the team\’s commitment to sustain their innovation efforts and defending their championship status in future competitions, including Shell Eco-marathon Asia Pacific and Middle East 2025 in Qatar.

Startups of National Technical University “Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute” win gold, silver at the All-Ukrainian festival of innovations

Posted on by National Technical University «Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute»

Kharkiv Polytechnic hosted the final of the unique event for Kharkiv, the All-Ukrainian festival of innovations. The best 18 projects from Lviv, Rivne, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Kherson, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, as well as China and the Netherlands were competing. Eight startups which were presented by : National Technical University «KhPI», National Aerospace University «KhAI», Kherson State University, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Apixmed LLC (Netherlands) became winners. Kharkiv Polytechnics with the startups K-PILOT and MineGuard won the first and second prizes of the innovation festival, as well as received awards among foreign projects and sponsors. The event was opened by Yevgen Sokol, rector of NTU «KhPI», Oleksandr Kamyshyn, Minister of strategic industry of Ukraine, and Hanna Hvozdyar, deputy minister of strategic industry. The organizers of the festival were the startup center of NTU «KhPI» «SPARK» together with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Startup Fund. The event was held online and offline in the bomb shelter of Kharkiv Polytechnic.

The solemn opening of the Final of the All-Ukrainian festival of innovations was held with the participation of the rector of NTU «KhPI», professor Yevgen Sokol, who presented the «Sustainable innovation ecosystem of Kharkiv Polytechnic». He emphasized that every step in the development of innovation is a Victory.

«This is a very important event not only for NTU «KhPI» but for the whole country. Despite the war, talented young people of Ukraine are actively participating in the development of our country. It is nice to see that representatives of the Netherlands and China have joined the festival, which was originally launched as an all-Ukrainian event. The first festival was successful and became a unique opportunity for students and teachers to develop their innovative, scientific and entrepreneurial activities,» said Yevgen Sokol. He also noted the professionalism and coherence of the experts’ work, who conducted a detailed inspection and gave an objective assessment of all startups.

In addition, the participants of the event were greeted by the Minister of strategic industry of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshyn and deputy minister of strategic industry Hanna Hvozdyar.

According to the results of the All-Ukrainian festival of innovations, eight startup projects became winners. Among them:

  • 1st place – startup «K-PILOT», author Yegor Chukanov (the project actively cooperates with leading drone manufacturers who are interested in integrating K pilot into their aircraft), Educational and Scientific Institute of Computer Science and Information Technologies of NTU «KhPI».
  • 2nd place – startup «MineGuard» (a set of drones for remote mine detection with an accuracy of 95%), developed by Marko Gimonov, Educational and Scientific Institute of Computer Modeling, Applied Physics and Mathematics of NTU «KhPI».
  • 3rd place was shared by the startup projects: «Universal on-board computer «Boriviter» for nanosatellites and UAVs», developed by Oleksandr Lyubimov, National Aerospace University «Kharkiv Aviation Institute» and «IZOSTERA» by Andriy Mokhnenko (heat and sound insulation material made of seaweed, solves the problem of heat and sound insulation of buildings with modern material from ecological raw materials), Kherson State University.
  • Winner’s diploma from the sponsors – the team of the project «Fire Defend Carbon Ceramic Coating», author Svyatoslav Ryabinin, Educational and Scientific Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering of NTU KhPI.
  • Winner’s diploma among foreign projects – startup of Chinese students «Upcycling Vintage Furniture» (reconstruction of furniture in terms of the concept of sustainable development and the use of environmentally friendly bamboo materials), Educational and Scientific Institute of Economics, Management and International Business of NTU «KhPI».
  • Winner’s diploma in the category «Business» – team «APIXMED – a virtual assistant for personalized medical treatment», Maryna Korshevniuk, Apixmed LLC (Netherlands), Kyiv.
    The Diploma of Audience Choice – team «Times Traveler’s Art» (an application for classical art studying that helps art lovers and professionals who want to enjoy aesthetic pleasure and expand their knowledge, virtually experience interactive exhibitions, expositions, digital museums, etc. as opposed to classical museums) Sofia Kravchenko, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University.
  • The winners of the All-Ukrainian festival of innovations received laptops, tablets, external hard drives and souvenirs, and all the finalist teams received diplomas and incentive prizes. The event was organized by the startup center «SPARK» and the Research Department of NTU «KhPI» with the participation of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. According to the organizers of the festival, it has become not only a platform for meeting future leaders in the world of innovation, but also a guarantee of new opportunities for development and cooperation.

Note:

The final of the All-Ukrainian festival of innovations, organized by the startup center «SPARK» of NTU «KhPI», took place on 29 April 2024 in the bomb shelter of Kharkiv Polytechnic. It started at the beginning of April and brought together 86 startup projects from different cities of Ukraine: Lviv, Rivne, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Kherson, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, as well as from the Netherlands and China. The 18 most relevant startups from various fields reached the finals: military, medical, cultural, etc.

The All-Ukrainian festival of innovations has become a platform for the exchange of ideas and the development of student entrepreneurship in Ukraine. The main goals of the festival are: development of the university’s innovation infrastructure; economic recovery of Ukraine; popularization of science, technology and innovative technologies; promotion of the entrepreneurship environment and development of skills in developing innovative projects; increasing competitiveness in the labor market through the development of skills and integration of the enterprise model in the education system; popularization of innovators’ developments and attraction of investors to promising projects; development of social partnership and cooperation with business structures.

The organizers and co-organizers of the All-Ukrainian festival of innovations were: Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Ukrainian Startup Fund, LLC «Science Park of NTU «KhPI», Ukrainian Association for management development and business education, Ukrainian Association of fintech and innovative companies together with partners: startup accelerator YEP!, StartGlocal Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, China-Ukraine Joint Platform for Innovation Cooperation (Heilongjiang Huayue Oriental Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd), Ukrainian National Office of Intellectual Property and Innovation.