Nugroho Imam Setiawan, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., a lecturer at the Department of Geological Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), has been successfully selected to participate in the 58th Japan Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE). This research expedition regarding the future of planet Earth is planned to last for two months during the period of January-February 2017. Nugroho became the only representative from the Southeast Asia region to pass the rigorous selection, alongside two other researchers from Mongolia and Sri Lanka. The selection was conducted through an interview process and recommendations, beating many candidates from other Asian countries.
“Many researchers applied from countries such as Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, but those selected were only from three countries,” said Nugroho on Wednesday (16/3).
In this team consisting of a total of 64 people, Nugroho will join as an observer through the Asian Forum for Polar Sciences (AFOPS) program. This program specifically invites scientists from Asian countries that do not yet have a basecamp in Antarctica. He will join the geological team that will research metamorphic rocks, according to his scientific specialization. As a preparation to face the extreme conditions, Nugroho and the team have attended a “Winter Camp Training” organized by the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) in Japan on March 7-11, 2016. The training included survival techniques, navigation in snow terrains, up to evacuation simulations.
“The goal is to prepare team members to be capable of conducting research activities in Antarctica with very extreme weather,” he explained.
Although he feels proud to be able to make UGM and Indonesia proud, Nugroho admits that there is anxiety in facing the extreme temperature conditions in Antarctica that he has never experienced as someone from an equatorial country. Through this expedition, he hopes to collect high-quality data for scientific publications regarding the evolution of metamorphic rocks. In addition, he also hopes that his participation can encourage the next generation of Indonesian researchers and inspire the government to consider the establishment of an Indonesian research basecamp in Antarctica in the future.
Author: UGM Public Relations
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/11364-peneliti-ugm-terpilih-ikuti-ekspedisi-riset-di-antartika/