Three students from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI), have passed the selection process for the 2022 Sakura Science Exchange Program, “On Environmental Radiation in Fukushima.” They are Ani Sulistyani (Bachelor of Physics, 2019), Alyssa Zahwa Ananda (Bachelor of Biology, 2018), and Jihan Lathifah Iqlima (Bachelor of Biology, 2019).

This was announced by Osaka University, Japan, via a personal email sent to participants on Monday (July 4). Previously, two participants from the Biology Study Program had undergone two rounds of interviews. The first round of interviews was conducted on May 31, 2022, by the Department of Biology, with 22 prospective participants. The second round of interviews was conducted on June 23 by Osaka University with three prospective participants from the Biology Study Program who successfully passed the first round, and two prospective participants from the Physics Study Program.

The three participants are scheduled to depart for Japan on September 18, 2022. Upon arrival at Narita Airport, they will be directed to Fukushima, where they will be conducting activities during the student exchange program. There, they will participate in a series of activities with students from various universities in ASEAN countries.

Some of the activities include collecting soil samples in the field area at the Da-ichi nuclear power plant to check radioactivity levels and visiting the Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum. The event is scheduled to conclude on September 24, 2022.

One of the participants, Jihan, expressed her joy and gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this program, which is a collaboration between the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia (FMIPA UI) and Osaka University. For Jihan, this type of activity was one of the goals she had hoped to achieve when enrolling as a student at FMIPA UI. She believes that student exchange programs offer an opportunity to further develop herself while gaining new experiences abroad.

“Program exchange ke luar negeri seperti ini merupakan salah satu goal “I was there when I entered UI. So, I’m very grateful. Alhamdulillah, I was able to participate in this program. I’ll be able to learn a lot and share my knowledge with the department,” he told the UI Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Public Relations team.

Meanwhile, Dede Djuhana, Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at the University of Indonesia (UI), welcomed the good news. He stated that despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Sakura Science Exchange can now be held in person after being temporarily suspended due to the pandemic. Therefore, he advised the three students to make the most of this opportunity to explore themselves.

“Make the most of this opportunity to experience firsthand the advancements in science and technology in Japan. We are grateful that this year, the Sakura Science Exchange program can be held in person after nearly two years of restrictions due to the pandemic,” said Dean Dede.

Furthermore, the Dean hopes that this activity can encourage the achievement of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) 2 of the University of Indonesia.

The Sakura Science Exchange Program is an international academic program supported by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in collaboration with several universities from various countries, in order to introduce Japanese science and technology to students from various universities in the world.