Tasikmalaya Student Research Reaches the International Stage After Scopus Criticism

Two students from Siliwangi University in Tasikmalaya, West Java, have achieved success in the international academic arena. Fahmi Rahmat Amanulloh and Muhammad Raka El Ghifari successfully published their research in an international journal indexed by Scopus.

Fahmi and Raka are from the Civil Engineering study program at Siliwangi University. Both are mentored by Andhy Romdani, a lecturer in the Civil Engineering program at Siliwangi University. Andhy holds a doctoral degree from the Department of Hydraulic and Ocean Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan.

Fahmi became the first student from Unsil to produce research indexed by Scopus. His research was published by IWA Publishing on July 24, 2024. The institution publishes scientific journals covering all aspects of water, wastewater, and the environment.

The title of the research is "Morpho-hydrodynamic Processes Influenced by the Extreme La Niña Event of 2022 and High River Discharge Conditions in the Southern Coastal Region of West Java, Indonesia."

This research focuses on how high rainfall and river discharge affect changes in the coastline and marine conditions in the coastal area of Pangandaran, West Java.

In his research, Fahmi used two applications, namely MIKE21 for simulating marine hydrodynamic conditions and DSAS (Digital Shoreline Analysis System) for spatial analysis of shoreline changes.

"The essence of this research discusses the impact of the extreme La Niña event in 2022 on the morpho-hydrodynamic processes at Bojong Salawe Beach, Pangandaran," said Fahmi when interviewed by Kompas, Thursday (4/9/2025).

Fahmi's research article received a Quartile 2 or Q2 reputation. Quartile or Q is a system for ranking the quality of international journals divided into four levels, namely Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4.

The highest level is Q1, which comprises the top 25 percent of journals. Meanwhile, Q4 is the lowest level of journals within a particular field of study.

"For me, getting published in a Scopus-indexed journal is a shared achievement between students and lecturers. The sensation is not like winning a competition, but rather a form of appreciation for the hard work and long process that we have gone through together," said Fahmi.

Meanwhile, Raka published his research titled "Integrating Hydrodynamic Modeling and Hazard Assessment for Flood Mitigation in the Pemali River Basin, Brebes Regency, Central Java."

The article was published on August 21, 2025, in the International Journal of River Basin Management (IJRBM) by the publishing institution Taylor & Francis in the United Kingdom. The research results are also rated Q2.

Raka's research emphasizes the importance of hydrodynamic modeling in comprehensively assessing flood risk. He uses the Flood Hazard to People method from DEFRA, UK.

This method evaluates the level of danger to humans based on water speed and depth. Raka used the HEC-RAS 2D Unsteady Flow Model application to model river flow and flooding in detail.

In this study, he found that the Pemali watershed area is divided into 4 risk zones: low, moderate, significant, and extreme. Brebes District and Wanasari District are the areas most severely affected.

"The speed of water flow is an important factor that is often overlooked in flood risk assessments in Indonesia," stated Raka, who just graduated in August 2025.

Lecturer mentoring

Andhy stated that he began mentoring a group of students who have a strong interest in conducting research upon returning from Taiwan in 2023.

For him, guiding students is not just about assigning tasks or providing direction. A lecturer must also build strong relationships, both academically and emotionally.

Andhy does not employ a conventional approach. In addition to discussing research in the laboratory, he also invites his students to engage in discussions in more relaxed settings such as cafes, to create a more comfortable atmosphere. The hope is that ideas will emerge from the students' own interests.

He guides students starting from reading light scientific writings, formulating ideas, writing introductions in Indonesian, to daringly entering the world of international literature.

"The process is not instant. I have been accompanying Raka and Fahmi for more than a year until their research article finally made it to Scopus," he stated.

For him, the key to research is not merely intelligence, but rather the willingness, perseverance, hard work, and patience. His two students, Fahmi and Raka, are real examples.

"I hope the success of both can inspire other students in West Java to be brave and confident in conducting research that is recognized internationally," he expressed.

The success of Fahmi and Raka demonstrates that geographical limitations are not an obstacle to creating at the international level. The close collaboration between students and lecturers, the utilization of modern analytical technology, and the courage to write and submit works to reputable journals are the main keys.