UNAIR Chemistry Department Instills the Spirit of Research in Pangkalan Bun High School Students, Accompanied by Dialogue with UNAIR International Students
The Tri Dharma of higher education is an essential aspect that needs to be implemented by all academic members of a university. One of the three components of the Tri Dharma is community service. On Tuesday (23/08/2022), lecturers and students from the organic chemistry group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Airlangga, conducted community service for high school students in Pangkalan Bun, West Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan. This activity was held at SMA Negeri 1 Pangkalan Bun and attended by 200 twelfth-grade students from SMA Negeri 1, 2, and 3 Pangkalan Bun, along with 34 international students who were alumni of Chemistry Unair and students from several partner universities of the Department of Chemistry Unair, participating virtually.
The community service consisted of two events: educational socialization and research demonstration. The educational socialization aimed to introduce Universitas Airlangga, especially the Department of Chemistry, to high school students living outside Java. Meanwhile, the research demonstration was intended to spark the students’ interest in thinking scientifically and creatively to prepare for future college life. This activity was well received by the principal of SMA Negeri 1 Pangkalan Bun, Drs. Ridwan. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of continuing to undergraduate education in the era of Industry 4.0 because students with good competencies will succeed in the competitive job market. Additionally, the event was also opened with remarks from the representative of the Department of Chemistry Unair, Prof. Dr. Nanik Siti Aminah, M.Si., who motivated the prospective students to study diligently and never give up on achieving their dreams.
The educational socialization event was presented by Ummi Zubaidah, S.Si., along with Alsya Firdausi Nuzula, S.Si. During the event, students were introduced to various aspects of Universitas Airlangga, such as its history, achievements, admission pathways for new students, scholarship opportunities, and career prospects as Unair graduates. The socialization event became more engaging as students not only received information from the presentation but also had the opportunity to interact with international students who attended virtually. These international students served as resource persons, sharing their academic and non-academic experiences during their studies at Unair and their impressions of how Unair contributed to their career development. The event was further enlivened by interactive games between material presentations and discussions, making the event enjoyable.
The second activity was a research demonstration presented by Andika Pramudya Wardana, S.Si., M.Si. This demonstration included a simple screening of formalin content in school snacks using natural ingredients and a demonstration of dye separation techniques using paper chromatography. The students were very enthusiastic when asked to practice both research methods. They were also given the opportunity to discuss the mechanisms and theoretical foundations of the two research demonstrations. This research demonstration was intended to train students to correlate lesson theory with its applications in life.
This community service activity left a significant impression on the high school students, broadening their understanding that college life is interesting because it involves not only learning but also conducting research and establishing collaborations and connections with the international community. The positive response to this community service activity was also shown by the teachers. According to Mrs. Siti Arodah, the head of the Pangkalan Bun Chemistry MGMP, she was very pleased with this community service event because the students could gain insights into college life and directly receive materials and simple chemistry research that had previously been less optimally delivered due to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reposted by the admin from UNAIR NEWS Departemen Kimia UNAIR Ajak Siswa SMA Pangkalan Bun Belajar Meneliti dan Berbincang Bersama Mahasiswa Internasional – Universitas Airlangga Official Website
