Indonesian Researcher Wins Germany's Green Talents Award
Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Aretha Aprilia, an Indonesian scientist specializing in socio-environmental energy, has won the German Education and Research Ministry's "Green Talents Award 2017" for her research into making renewable energy more accessible fo local households.
As a major part of her research, Aretha, who received the award in Berlin, examined Indonesia's new energy policies that try to include renewable energy in the country's energy mix.
"It's my dream that all Indonesians will have easy access to electricity from renewable energy sources, including people in remote locations in the country," Aretha said in a statement on Sunday (05/11).
The Green Talents Award annually seeks academic researchers who promote "international exchange of innovative green ideas."
Aretha is among 25 awardees selected from 21 countries, including the United States, Russia, China and Brazil.
All of them took part in a two-week science forum that began on Oct. 16, during which they visited top sustainability research centers in Germany.
"It's now time for Indonesia to put plans into real action, and to focus on better renewable energy penetration in the market, which should start from government support at policy level," Aretha said.
Her efforts have been further awarded by an invitation to return to Germany next year to do a fully-funded research at an institution of her choice.
"I am deeply impressed by the scientific expertise and strong motivation of this year's 25 Green Talents. Their research is clearly making a contribution to tackling global challenges," Falko Leukhardt of the German Council for Sustainable Development said.
Aretha, who earned her doctoral degree from Kyoto University, is currently working for a local unit of US-based engineering firm CDM Smith, overseeing community-based renewable energy projects.
She is currently writing reports on the completed projects, which include solar photovoltaic power generation projects in Karampuang, West Sulawesi, and in Berau, East Kalimantan.
Correction: The previous version of this article erroneously reports Aretha is still supervising projects in Sulawesi and Kalimantan. She has completed the assignments and is now working on the reports. The Jakarta Globe regrets the error.
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