Institut Teknologi Bandung

The Asia-Pacific Regional IAU Meeting 2023 (APRIM 2023) serves as a platform for in-depth discussions on specific scientific topics and brings together scientists from the Asia-Pacific region, particularly focusing on young astronomers. This event was open to anyone conducting research in the field of Astronomy and was sponsored by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

APRIM 2023 featured oral presentations from invited speakers, plenary speakers, and parallel session speakers. In addition to these presentations, there were remote speakers who participated via Zoom, a poster exhibition, and an Astronomy booth exhibition. Fathia was one of the parallel session speakers.

Despite having only 10 minutes for her presentation and a subsequent 2 minute question-and-answer session, Fathia successfully delivered her final assignment with the title of "Search for Complex Organic Molecules at g354.61 + 0.47 from ALMA Observations." She presented her work eloquently in front of participants from various countries in the Asia-Pacific region on Tuesday, August 8 2023.

Before becoming a speaker at the international event, which was attended by researchers, graduate, and post-graduate students, Fathia had to make extensive preparations. When the registration for speakers opened, Fathia had her research and abstract ready. She then decided to seize this opportunity, knowing that an opportunity such as this might not come again. Thanks to her determination, she succeeded in being accepted as a parallel session speaker. According to her, the most significant challenge she faced was the language barrier. She practiced extensively with her academic advisor, Prof. Dr. Taufiq Hidayat, to overcome this challenge.

Fathia mentioned that this was her first international event she had participated in which had numerous challenges during the preparation. However, she emphasized that it's always better to try and face challenges than to regret not trying at all. She didn't worry about the expenses because she received support from various sources, including lecturers from the Astronomy program, seniors, and the IAU.

Fathia encouraged anyone who wants to try new things to keep trying and prepare thoroughly while not hesitating to seek help from others.

"Just be brave, seize the opportunities, if you're feeling nervous, then practice and put in more effort. As long as you don't embarrass yourself, take the initiative, practice, and don't hesitate to ask for help."

Fathia's journey to step out of her comfort zone gave her the most memorable experience of her life, especially when she successfully delivered her presentation. In addition, she received valuable advice regarding her final project's topic and learned about related developments in other countries. During the event, she managed to get many new friends from Dubai and Taiwan, as well as kind individuals who were willing to help and eager to learn.

Reporter: Gishelawati (Astronomy'19)

Translator: Sherina Wijaya (Geological Engineering'19)

Editor: Hanna Daniela Ayu (Aerospace Engineering, 2021)