Professor Nurul Widiastuti: Leading by Example as a Woman in STEM
Professor Nurul Widiastuti can still remember what made her fall in love with science. Since elementary school, teachers have often asked her to help fellow students who were having difficulty with mathematics.But it was her chemistry teacher in high school who made a world of difference for her.
‘She incorporated everyday things in her teachings, and it made the students understand the subjects better instead of just imagining abstract things,’ she recalled.
The joys of teaching stayed with Nurul. She is currently the Vice Rector 1 for Academic and Student Affairs at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh November (ITS), East Java. She is also an active and passionate lecturer, a role she set her heart on after earning her bachelor’s degree in chemistry there in 1994.
Besides having to fully comprehend a subject to be able to explain it to students, I find joy in exploring creative ways to make students grasp the subject. That’s why to this day I still incorporate everyday things in my teachings,’ she said.
Nurul also continues research on membrane and adsorption materials with a focus on the application of technologies such asgas separation, hydrogen storage, CO2 capture and wastewater treatment.
Balancing Family With a Career in Science
After completing a masters degree in chemistry at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) in 1998, Nurul was awarded an Australian Development Scholarship (ADS) to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering at Curtin University.
Her husband, Professor Hamzah Fansuri, was also an ADS awardee and was studying at the same school. The pair had also pursued their masters degrees at ITB in tandem and became parents during those years.
‘My husband played an amazing role. It would be unbelievably difficult to go through all that without his support, both in my career and in our household,’ said Nurul.
In 2004, Nurul moved to Australia with their four-year-old son to begin her studies. Her husband completed his studies a year later and returned to Surabaya to resume his teaching duties at ITS.
As PhD programs in Australia are primarily research-based, Nurul developed a daily routine of conducting laboratory research from eight am to six pm. She appreciated how childcare and early education facilities in Australia allowed her to focus on her studies.
A Positive Perspective on Work-Life Balance
Nurul also credited her supervisor, Professor Dongke Zhang, for instilling good values in both her personal life and career. Among them were the importance of time management and having a balanced life.
‘Studying in Australia changed my perspectives immensely, including on culture and work ethic,’ said Nurul.
‘Professor Zhang always reminded me to manage time for work, family and rest. I realised I had to work smart, set a certain time for my experiments and employ strategies so that I could yield the best results,’ she added.
Nurul explained how failure in science was frequent and inevitable. To make the best of her time, she had to plan everything carefully, starting with understanding the theory well, preparing the experiment details and specifying time periods to minimise failures.
Learning the Power of Networking
Alongside time management, Nurul acknowledged the influence of Professor Zhang’s leadership on her work.
‘As Director of the Centre for Energy at Curtin University, he was extremely busy with so many demands in his line of work,’ she said. ‘From the experience of being his mentee, I learned how to develop professional networks, how to solve problems in industry, and how to collaborate with partners.’
Now, as she balances her roles as Vice Rector as well as a lecturer, this exposure helps Nurul immensely in navigating her daily tasks.
‘I acquired new points of view and the will to handle problems correctly and promptly,’ she said. ‘I learned that studying involves much more than doing experiments in a laboratory and writing papers. And I discovered how networking could lead to so many wonderful things.’
Nurul spoke of how enriching it was when Professor Zhang included her in discussions with his colleagues, which led her to meet people from diverse backgrounds. Now, she does the same for her doctoral students at ITS, and she maintains her multicultural network with colleagues from Malaysia, Japan, Germany and India.
‘That experience has made it easier for me to collaborate with people from different cultures. It taught me how to approach various people, including partners of ITS, for our international programs,’ she said.
Encouraging Women in Leadership
Nurul is committed to nurturing outstanding graduates who make meaningful and lasting contributions to Indonesia.
Supported by her teams, her duties as Vice Rector of ITS since June 2024 include managing university programs, ensuring that ITS produces high-quality graduates, incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) thoughtfully into academic programs, developing learning methods grounded in real-world challenges, and overseeing the university library and language centre. She previously served as Vice Rector of Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK) from 2019 to 2023, during which time she also played a key role in strengthening academic systems and institutional development.
‘I admit it’s a lot of work, but when we do it with high spirits and good vibes, one day our efforts will bear fruit,’ she said.
‘I learned how to build teamwork during my studies in Australia, and now I’m leading my teams to keep encouraging each other during our ups and downs.’
Nurul acknowledged it was rare for a woman to be in her position. She is the third woman ever to become Vice Rector of ITS, and science is still a male-dominated field.
On International Women’s Day, she asserted that women were just as ready for leadership roles as men.
‘What we need is to do our best, have good intentions to collaborate and know how to handle problems,’ she said. ‘If we do everything right with integrity, God willing, opportunities are there for us to discover.'
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