Diana Hasidi

Country: Malaysia 
Degree: Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Honours)
Faculty: Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Diana studied engineering at the University of Adelaide.  The focus of her final year research project was on a treatment for agricultural waste (ways to generate money and reduce waste). She also worked on another plant design project focusing on producing fertilizers from coal. “Having two final year projects was quite challenging, but my lecturers here were very supportive and helped me a lot”.

Diana enjoyed being a part of the University of Adelaide community and she found that Adelaide was a much friendlier city than other Australian cities she has visited.

The campus is easily accessible by bus and train, and it is only 5 minutes walk from Rundle Mall.

Diana Hasidi

"Adelaide isn’t as well known as other major Australian cities, but it is more laid back and is an easy place in which to study”; said Diana.   “Being a Group of Eight university, the University of Adelaide has a well-established research program and a reputation for academic excellence”.

Coming from Borneo, Diana found that learning in a different cultural setting allowed her to experience a different mindset and express her opinion in an easier way.

“Both academic and support staff here are very helpful and friendly, which makes it very convenient whenever you need help in anything. In my engineering course, practicality of theories learned in class is very crucial. I really appreciate that in every subject I took incorporated real life applications that used the fundamental principles we learned so that we could understand better. I was able to challenge the opinions of different people more easily in my classes, and I think that really helps in developing your critical thinking skills”.

During her free time, Diana enjoyed doing something different from typical engineering activities and she loved getting involved in a range of community activities and events outside the University. During her time here, she participated in the OzAsia Festival and performed in the festival as part of a traditional Malaysian dance group with other students from the University of Adelaide. She loved the festival lifestyle of Adelaide and the opportunity to experience a new and different culture.

“I volunteered to be on the Malaysian Council of Students Australia while studying here, and have worked to help students adapt to life in Adelaide,” Diana revealed. “It has also helped me to better adapt to life in Adelaide because it’s allowed me to mingle, meet new people and become part of a community”.

Diana plans to pursue a career within engineering specialising in risk and incident investigation.