A student of Universitas Indonesia (UI) named Heiqmadinar Azzahra Nugraha won an award as the best oral presenter through an article titled “Raising Awareness of Physical Activity as An Antidepressant Mechanism to Build the Golden Generation 2040: A Literature Study” at the international event World Physiotherapy Asia Western Pacific Region Congress 2024 held by the Indonesian Physiotherapy Association (IFI) with the Co-host of the UI Vocational Education Program Physiotherapy Study Program. The event, which carried the theme “Collaboration and Transformation Toward Sustainable Physiotherapy Practice” was held at the Aston Convention Center, Denpasar, Bali (September 26-28, 2024). UI Vocational sent 18 UI Vocational Physiotherapy Study Program students to participate as speakers, presenting research they had conducted with lecturers.
The scientific meeting, one of the largest in the field of physiotherapy, was attended by physiotherapists from 31 member countries in the Asia Western Pacific region. The main goal is to strengthen professional networks and share information and research findings that support sustainable physiotherapy practices in the region. The agenda during the congress was filled with symposiums, workshops, exhibitions of the latest technology, and scientific presentations from international practitioners.
Director of the UI Vocational Education Program, Padang Wicaksono, S.E., Ph.D, who also became a keynote speaker at this congress, emphasized the importance of international collaboration in physiotherapy education. “Collaboration is designed to foster an interconnected academic community that transcends geographical boundaries. In accordance with the theme of this year’s congress, the collaboration we are carrying out is not only aimed at addressing global challenges but also seeks to improve the educational experience for students and lecturers,” he said.
Padang also explained that this collaboration includes joint research projects, student and lecturer exchange programs, and physiotherapist professional certification. In addition, UI is focusing on three main aspects of developing physiotherapy education: developing the Vokasi Wellness Center (VWC) as a teaching factory, community service through the Sehat Bestari program, and strengthening international cooperation through student mobility and faculty mobility programs.
“VWC operates as a real learning environment that allows students to gain direct experience in the workplace environment, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge to practical scenarios. In addition, VWC also functions as a research laboratory for lecturers and students to collaborate in improving the quality of physiotherapy research,” said Padang.
In the future, according to Padang, the role of physiotherapists will be increasingly important along with the increasing elderly population. “This collaborative approach ensures that research findings are academic and relevant to real-world health challenges,” he said.
In addition, the Sehat Bestari program, which is part of community service, is designed to promote health through community-based physiotherapy services. “Through this initiative, we aim to raise awareness of the benefits of physiotherapy, improve the quality of life of the community, and promote health literacy,” said Padang.
