In a strategic move to elevate its international research profile, the Faculty of Engineering at Universitas Diponegoro (Undip) recently facilitated an intensive one-month residency for Viona Syifa, a Chemical Engineering Master’s student, at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia. Funded under the International Students Exchange (Outbound) World Class University Program – EQUITY Batch 2 – 2026, this residency serves as a practical bridge between Undip’s academic rigor and the advanced laboratory ecosystems of its regional partners.

Viona’s work centered on the "Learning and Development of a Pyrolysis Reactor for Thermo-Catalytic Decomposition of Methane into Hydrogen," a project at the forefront of the global transition toward "Turquoise Hydrogen." Unlike traditional methods that release carbon dioxide, this pyrolysis process splits methane into hydrogen gas and solid carbon (biochar), offering a high-efficiency pathway for clean energy production without a heavy environmental footprint.

The project was carried out through a cross-border mentorship between Dr. Dessy Ariyanti, S.T., M.T. (Undip) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fazlena Hamzah (UiTM). This collaboration provided Viona with hands-on access to specialized reactor systems, allowing her to test the limits of methane conversion efficiency and reactor durability in ways that go far beyond standard classroom simulations.