The initial phase of project ENHANCE focuses on literature studies relating to both frequently-used and recently-introduced delivery method for lecture materials as variations to learner-based education. This aims to accommodate the multidiscipline humanitarian engineering and community-based engineering. “We, ITB, are lucky to be given a task to study literatures relating to problem-based learning approach, which we carry out regularly on our engineering lectures.” Abduh said.

From 17th to 28th February 2019, three workshops had been conducted to identify humanitarian engineering practices that are conducted in marathon in three different countries. The first workshop was done on 17th-18th February 2019 at University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The second workshop was done on 20th-23rd February 2019 at UGM, Indonesia. The third workshop was done on 25th-27th February 2019 at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Vietnam. The workshops went smoothly with stakeholders from each workshop location participated in giving their input on frequent occurrence of humanitarian problem, its potential solution, currently running programs, and opportunities for development of humanitarian engineering education.

Abduh said, three management meetings had been called to form consistent view of the project and determine further division of tasks. “Soon, on April and July, the project’s management meeting will be a teleconference from each location for cost consideration,” Abduh added.

ITB is designated to be the next host to a series of workshops conducted on the beginning of September. The workshop aims to develop programs and curricula relating to humanitarian engineering in ITB, UGM, and Universitas Brawijaya. “We coordinated with Dean of FTSL (Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering) and WRAM (Vice Rector of Academic and Student Affairs) regarding this, that humanitarian engineering will be adopted by Civil Engineering Study Program, especially in Construction Management and Engineering (MRK) and Infrastructure Engineering and Management (RMI) with some adjustment to existing courses and addition to new optional courses. It means, we do not create specific new programs,” said Abduh.

He said that Project ENHANCE needs to get disseminated to academicians of ITB, people outside of ITB, and other stakeholders so that the workshop will run smoothly.

*Source: Ir. Muhamad Abduh MT, Ph.D.