Two students from the Faculty of Computer Science, Universitas Brawijaya (FILKOM UB), namely Ifadatul Khoiroh (Informatics Engineering, 2020) and Ana Balqis Sholehah (Information Engineering, 2020) were selected to participate in the Student Exchange program in Japan for 11 days (19 February 2023 to 1 March 2023 ). The two students who are also student employees at the Information-Based Network Laboratory received a recommendation from the Head of the Informatics Engineering Department, Achmad Basuki, S.T., M.MG., Ph.D.
Ifadatul Khoiroh (Ifa) told that at the beginning she was able to join the program with Ana Balqis Sholehah (Ana), she learned from the Head of TIF Department that there was an invitation letter from EBA Minamata Fieldwork Program to Universitas Brawijaya which then recommend them both to participate in the Student Exchange program.
Ifa said that in Japan they got various friends from Japan as well as from Indonesia and Malaysia. The selected universities other than UB are Syiah Kuala University (Indonesia), Hasanuddin University (Indonesia), Malaya University (Malaysia), Malaysia Science University and from Keio University , Japan.
“The main project or output of the activities we carry out are posters and VR videos. We carry out direct field observations regarding natural disasters that have occurred in Japan and conduct discussions and analyzes to find relevant solutions to problems that exist in Indonesia. During 9 days in Japan we carried out projects in 3 different areas, the first in Kumamoto continued to Minamata and then in Tokyo, “explained Ifa.
While in Kumamoto, Ifa and Ana visited KIC (Kumamoto City International Center), Kumamoto Castle, and several other places to learn about the earthquake that occurred in Kumamoto, Japan in 2016 and the efforts of the government and society in handling it.
“During 3 days in Kumamoto we received material from Kumamoto University Earthquake Experience Project (KEEP), the Kumamoto International Foundation, and the Kumamoto Consultation and Support Plaza for Foreign Residents. We also learn about Data Analysis and Visualization, because the main focus of this program is not only about learning in the field but how to collect and visualize data through direct observation,” said Ifa.
Then, the two of them headed for Minamata with the aim of Tokay University – Aso campus which was one of the buildings or places affected by the earthquake in 2016.
“We study the history and earthquakes handling there as learning materials in collecting observational data and designing solutions from the initial topics that we will raise,” she continued.
In Minamata, Ifa and Ana also visited Kumamoto Gakuen (Open Research Center for Minamata Studies), Minamata Environmental Clean Center, ECO-NET Minamata, Main Gate of Chisso Minamata Factory, Minamata Disease Hypocenter, Minamata Bay Landfill, Minamata Disease Cenotaph, Tsuboya , and Soshisha and Minamata Disease Historical Museum to learn about Minamata Disease tragedy that has occurred in Minamata since the 1950s until now.
They studied how the community and government there contributed and tried to deal with existing disasters, some of which were closing the Chisso waste pit and waste management. Finally in Tokyo, Ifa and Ana focused on working on posters and ppt (Post Workshop) which will be presented on March 27, 2023. Besides that, they also visited Keio University.
Furthermore, Ifa and Ana would like to thank the leaders of the Dean & Department and staff at FILKOM who have helped the two of them depart until they returned to Indonesia. Of course this Student Exchange program is the first time experience for both of them. In addition, they also advised FILKOM UB students to be more active and don’t hesitate to always communicate with the lecturers and take a lot of knowledge and experience from the lecturers. Ifa added, as long as there is a new opportunity, never hesitate to take it as long as you have the will and ability.[drn/ Humas UB/ Trans. Iir]
