The 2021 Water Food Energy Sustainability (WAFERS) Summer Course, held online from July 22 to August 6, 2021, was hosted by the Department of Chemical Engineering at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). The program focused on integrating global perspectives to optimize bioresources for achieving sustainability in water, food, and energy systems, aiming to build a more resilient society. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and global travel restrictions, the course successfully brought together over 60 participants from Nigeria, Indonesia, China, Pakistan, Thailand, Taiwan, Cambodia, Malaysia, India, and Vietnam, fostering international collaboration and advancing key sustainability goals.
Seventeen distinguished speakers from renowned institutions such as the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), TU Eindhoven, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), CMR University (India), Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), Alchemic Lab (Japan), CSIR–Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (CSIR-IITR), University of Hawaii–Manoa, and TU Delft shared their expertise across six comprehensive modules: sustainable food production, biogas as a renewable energy source, renewable energy, wastewater treatment, clean water technology, and green energy sources. The modules, totaling 54 credit hours, provided participants with practical insights and interdisciplinary approaches to tackling environmental challenges, from clean water access to sustainable energy solutions.
The course also included interactive group work sessions, where participants collaborated across borders to develop innovative solutions for pressing global issues. These sessions emphasized teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking, fostering skills essential for addressing challenges related to climate action, resource management, and sustainable development. Despite being held virtually, the WAFERS Summer Course achieved its goal of creating a dynamic and engaging learning environment. UGM’s Department of Chemical Engineering demonstrated exceptional leadership in orchestrating this successful initiative, strengthening its role in advancing global sustainability through education and research