UTM – UPGRIS: ISL through Semarang Local Communities

Ts. Dr. Khairunnisa Mohd Pa'ad

SEMARANG, May 14 – A total of 23 second-year students from the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) participated in an International Service Learning (ISL), Sustainability in Action: Chemical Engineering for Semarang Communities at Semarang, Indonesia, from 5 to 11 May 2025. The event took place at Kelurahan Kandri Kecamatan Gunungpati, Kota Semarang, Indonesia.

sambutan rektor UPGRIS — Welcoming events for UTM students by UPGRIS rector at UPGRIS Main Campus, Semarang

This service learning is part of a program from the School of Undergraduate Studies (UGS) in collaboration with the Universitas Persatuan Guru Indonesia Semarang (UPGRIS), Indonesia, to exchange knowledge with the local communities at Semarang, Indonesia. This event, also known as Service Learning Malaysia University for Society (SULAM), is a form of experiential education where students engage in activities that address community needs and structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning. This program was led by Dr. Rasheed Mohamed Kutty, Manager, School of Undergraduate, UTM Kuala Lumpur; and Ts. Dr. Khairunnisa Mohd Paad, Physical Chemistry-SMJC 2233 Course Coordinator. The participants engaged in a series of activities, including soap making from the UTM side and introducing the agricultural activities from the local communities. This event was also attended by the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology (NEUST) Philippines lecturer and students.

The students attended various activities, including making food from tapioca-based materials, modern cow dairy farming at Green Fresh Farm Jatirego, and cultural exchange with the primary school students at MI Zam-Zam, Semarang.

DSC cow — One of the UTM students experienced milking the cow at Green Fresh Farm Jatirego, Semarang

DSC with Mi zam zam — Cultural exchange between UTM and Mi Zam-Zam primary school students

The UTM side provided knowledge transfer to local communities by teaching the making of solid soap bars using the waste cooking oil, which was led by Ts Dr. Khairunnisa Mohd Paad, assisted by the chemical engineering students in MJIIT. This program provided participants with insights into innovative solutions and technologies for waste cooking oil. Participants gained valuable skills in recycling waste cooking oil to produce solid soap bars, and they expressed great excitement about the new usage of waste cooking oil they gained during the session, offering them valuable skills for a new soap business to increase the quality of the Semarang local communities.

Ts Dr Khairunnisa explained the theory and also the step-by-step process of making solid soap from waste cooking oil.

DSC — UTM students together with local communities are making the solid soap bar

Dr. Rasheed Mohamed Kutty and Ts. Dr. Khairunnisa Mohd Paad were also invited as guest lecturers to give a special lecture with the theme of “Future-Proofing Humanity through Food Tech and Environmental Synergy” on 9 May 2025 at UPGRIS Main Campus to the undergraduate and postgraduate students at UPGRIS, Indonesia.

DSC — UTM students showing their skills in Dikir Barat to Semarang communities

DSC — Yap, MJIIT-UTM students performed his great performance in Wushu

This intensive seven-day program provided UTM students with invaluable community and cultural exchanges, bridging academic theory with real-world practice. Students praised the experience, noting its value in refining the student’s way of thinking and expanding their knowledge and insights. Such initiatives underscore UTM’s commitment to producing students that not only are great with industry-ready skills but also are adaptable to any culture (students develop as future-ready leaders who develop personally and professionally). This program will bring a great experience to various students, and we hope to expand these impactful community-academia partnerships in future programs.