“Qonita’s achievement in obtaining her PhD at a young age was due to her early awareness of her vocation.”
Obtaining a PhD is surely not simple to acquire in a short period. Especially if you study abroad. However, graduates of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Hasanuddin University, Qonita Kurnia Anjani, managed to finish her PhD studies at Queen’s University Belfast. At a relatively early age, 25 years.
Qonita as she is familiarly known, revealed that she had been interested in the creation of medications from the first semester at Unhas. During the third semester, he started to explore research on medication delivery technologies. Especially the technology that permits medications to penetrate the skin. Since then, he has repeatedly participated in contests relating to research in the pharmaceutical area. He also earned a gold prize in the 8th European Exhibition of Creativity and Innovation competition, 2016.
This lady who was born in 1995 stated that she has indicated her interest in her thesis, which speaks a lot about gels. Later he discovered out that a comparable technique that was more practical had been invented elsewhere, called microneedle. Qonita, stated, is designed like a patch fitted with tiny needles, which may give medications without blood and discomfort.
From then, the alumni of the Student Exchange Officer for Indonesia at the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF), began researching publications and references concerning microneedle. He has prepared a list of academics who pursue the area in different regions of the globe. “I called the professor who turned out to have a number of patents and articles relating to microneedle. There my proposal was favorably welcomed, in the end the professor became my supervisor at Queen’s University Belfast,” he stated.
This Palu-blooded lady was first enrolled for a scholarship as a master’s degree student at Queen’s University Belfast, with a two-year study term. After clearing the first review step (checking research progress in the first three months), his supervisor at Queen’s University Belfast realized the promise of the topic he was working on, thus he was encouraged to continue his PhD research. The concern is that the study that Qonita is working on satisfies the qualifications for a PhD program. At first he resisted, particularly given that the scholarship he obtained was just two years, whereas PhD studies take a regular minimum of 3 years.
At that time, the 2012 Unhas alumni was in a predicament since he felt unable to exist overseas, with an extra year without financial aid. Moreover, the supervisor just helps with education costs, not Qonita’s living expenses.
This lady, who was formerly involved in Pharmacy BEM, ultimately opted to take a differentiation test, a kind of first-year PhD trial, as a stepping stone to a PhD program. In addition to being thankful that he was allowed to continue his PhD studies, he acknowledged that he was anxious since the first scholarship arrangement was just two years old and the transfer management had encountered problems. Additionally, he was limited by the fact that his visa was only valid for 2.5 years.
Following a series of deliberations, he chose to complete his study with the remaining time. “At that time, I used all of my talent and energy to meet the deadline. “Thank God, I can do it in two years and three months,” he said.
The title of Qonita’s doctoral dissertation is Development of Antibiotic Microneedle Delivery Systems for Tuberculosis Treatment. Concentrate on the development of microneedle patch technology for TB medications. Qonita observed that Indonesia ranks third globally in terms of the number of TB cases. The death rate is extremely high because patients do not always adhere to their treatment regimens, causing several therapy to fail. Consequently, he considered using microneedle technology to seek out other alternative therapies. “In the future, it is envisaged that these TB sufferers may be able to apply a skin patch instead of taking medication,” he stated.
When questioned about her impressions of studying abroad, the lady who enjoys cooking chuckles and says that studying abroad is not as picturesque as the Instagram photographs depict. There are several obstacles that must be overcome while studying abroad. He described the difficulties he had while studying overseas. Starting with parental separation, the weather, and cultural differences.
According to Qonita, support and a positive atmosphere are crucial while studying abroad. Cendekia Gorontalo, an alumnus of MAN Insan, also offered advice to those who want to follow in his footsteps by studying overseas. According to him, the most essential thing is to pray, do your best, and comprehend your inner drive. “Passion is not an instantaneous occurrence; you must through a number of steps to properly comprehend what you are willing to fight for. Participate in tournaments, seminars, and other activities to get further experience. “More individuals are searching for answers than for issues,” he remarked.
Qonita plans to become a professor and researcher after she has completed all of her obligations in Belfast. He intends to complete the post-Doctoral program for one year while awaiting the opening of professor registration.
Original Writer: Anisa Luthfia Basri
Translator: Corvi Dipda S.
