UNAIR NEWS – Three students of Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Airlangga attended an international conference held in Bangkok, Thailand on October 2, 2018. The three students were Samara Rahma Dania, Nimas Ayu Mashuri, and Dwi Ratnasari. Thailand was their destination because Thailand is an Asian country that has reached Universal Health Coverage of 99%, so it is a good example.
The conference which became the meeting place for academics from various countries was held by The College of Public Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University. The conference which was held once a year is attended by various countries in the world, such as Japan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Singapore, and China.
Being 7th semester students with various academic deadlines did not discourage them from working at an international level. They presented a paper entitled Description of Relation Between Physical Activity and Diabetes Mellitus Among Productive Age in Welcoming 5.0 Era in Indonesia. Uniquely, they were able to complete the paper in a remote area during Field Work Practice (PKL) in Bojonegoro.
“Initially, when I was in PKL in Bojonegoro I got information about this conference from Samara. To pursue deadline paper, of course internet access is needed. Because the signal was quite difficult in the area, we finally found a place with wifi connection by borrowing a friend’s motorcycle, “Nimas said.
They claimed to have struggled to find internet signals at a cafe in the next district. The journey took about 30 minutes to look for place with signals. They had to go through difficult path along the ricefields.
“I had to ride with Samara & Nimas to the cafe because my PKL group motorcycle was being used by everyone. Although it is rather dangerous because the road there is not really good, thank God we are safe, “Ratna said with a laugh.
Samara admitted this was her third time she attended an international conference in Malaysia and South Korea. “Every country has its own uniqueness. Even though we found it difficult to find halal food, but I was happy with Bangkok. The people are very friendly. Even though sometimes they can’t speak English, using sign language was still fun, “Samara said with a smile.
While Nimas and Ratna said that this was the first time they attended an international conference. “The experience was very interesting because we can present in front of professors, assistant professors, undergraduate & graduate students from various universities around the world. Only a handful were still undergraduate students, including us. Our age often makes people amazed when they knew about it,” said Ratna.
In addition to sharing experiences with academics from various countries, in Bangkok they can visit tourist attractions and cheap shopping. When asked about tips on how to work abroad, Samara answered confidently to write the dreams on the wall of the room, make the best efforts, and pray every night.
“God always listen to and grant the worshippers’ request,” she concluded.
Author: Samara Rahma Dania
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
