Published: 24 Jan 2024

Rijal Hakiki, an Environmental Engineering lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering at President University (Presuniv), was awarded a Doctoral degree with the distinction of "Very Satisfactory" from the Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Bandung, on Monday, January 8, 2024. In his dissertation, Rijal focused on the research topic of Digital Image Processing and Analysis as an Approach to Measuring Pollutant Concentrations in Surface Water. Rijal explained, "The selection of this topic was based on the fact that the increasing  population, human activities, and lifestyles are directly related to the decline in water quality." He emphasized that the measurement activities are an integral part of the water quality monitoring process, requiring various principles and measurement instrumentation. Rijal stated, "The image processing and digital analysis-based measurements I proposed could be a potential alternative approach for further development."

Reflecting on the initial stages of his Ph.D. journey, which began in January 2020, Rijal acknowledged the significant challenges, coinciding with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. He highlighted the limited mobility and accessibility to facilities, especially during laboratory research. Rijal expressed deep gratitude to the Environmental Engineering Study Program at Presuniv for providing unrestricted access to initiate preliminary tests in their laboratories. He added, "Once the pandemic subsided, I was able to continue my research at the Water Quality Laboratory of the Environmental Engineering Program at ITB."

Rijal pursued his Ph.D. studies at ITB with a scholarship from the Education Fund Management Agency (Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan or LPDP), Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Indonesia. Regarding his choice of ITB, he explained that the university was listed among the recipients of LPDP scholarships, and there was alignment with the field of study and the proposed research topic. Rijal sees the completion of his doctoral studies as the beginning of his journey and adventure in applying knowledge, with the hope of making a meaningful contribution to family, society, and the nation. (Lita Gabriella, PR team. Photo: Doc. Rijal Hakiki)