Aditya Sutantio (left) receiving his doctoral academic certificate from The Rector of ITS.

ITS Campus News – Sharing knowledge is about having the courage to take the first step. This is what Aditya Sutantio believes, the oldest graduate at the 126th Graduation Ceremony Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS). This graduate of the Department of Civil Engineering successfully completed his doctoral studies at the age of 63 years and 4 months on Sunday (25/9).

Continuing education to the doctoral level was never originally in the mind of this man who is familiarly called Adit. Since graduating from undergraduate level, he has been involved in the world of construction, choosing to focus on work in the field and carrying out various projects. Starting from bridges, dams, to housing in remote areas of Bali and Nusa Tenggara.

But the fact said otherwise. After completing his master’s degree at the ITS Interdisciplinary School of Management and Technology (SIMT) in 2009, he was asked to become one of the teachers at SIMT ITS. Even at a no longer young age, the demands of becoming an educator moved his heart to return to education. “This cannot be separated from the role of Prof. Yulinah, one of the professors who often encourages me,” said the figure who was born in Rembang 1959.

The oldest graduate at ITS 126th Graduation, Aditya Sutantio

For Adit, undergoing doctoral education with a physical condition that is not as fit as it used to be an extraordinary challenge, one time it even almost made him give up. He said, sometimes it is quite difficult to be able to divide his time between college and work which is not small. “However, being together with other doctoral students makes the work done feel lighter, we also often study together,” he said smiling.

Not only a matter of time, this father of two was also hampered by demands to produce international scientific publications which would later be used as dissertations. “This publication is very challenging for me. “It takes persistence, precision, and the ability to write correct English,” he said.

However, the support of his wife and supervisors, the late Prof. Dr. Ir Nadjadji Anwar MSc, Ir I Putu Artama Wiguna MT PhD, and Prof. Erma Suryani ST MT PhD, made Adit continue to struggle even though he had experienced four publication rejections. Raising a dissertation topic on sustainable construction, in early 2022 he finally managed to publish two international publications at once.

Aditya Sutantio (far left) in the groundbreaking activity of a construction project

In his research, Adit expressed his concern that the prospects for sustainable development in Indonesia are still far away. He also developed a dynamic model, a system in which each variable influences one another. “In the case of my research, the increase in sustainable construction was measured from the reduction in environmental impact that had been carried out,” he explained.

This traveling enthusiast also hopes that in the future this research can be slowly utilized by property developers to start using environmentally friendly materials. This can be implemented by reusing waste materials and building designs that are more energy efficient. “Of course, the collective awareness of all parties is also needed so that the lives of the next generation can be better,” he warned.

Feeling various limitations in carrying out development in remote areas to successfully complete doctoral studies lately, made Adit advise the younger generation to go through every educational process with gratitude. “Like climbing a mountain, getting to the top is just a bonus. The most important thing is to enjoy the process and live it with sincerity,” he concluded. (ITS PR)