ARCHITECT USES PhD TO HELP REBUILD DEVASTATED ACEH

By Neville D'Cruz

MELBOURNE, March 19 (Bernama) -- It took a tsunami to stop Indonesian
scholar Izziah Hasan from completing her PhD in Architecture and Urban Design at
the University of Adelaide back in 2005.

The 47-year-old was undertaking her thesis on the architectural identity of
Aceh when a massive earthquake in the Indian Ocean in late December 2004
triggered a tidal wave which devastated her hometown, killing more than 350,000
people.

Izziah returned to Indonesia and her teaching role at the University of
Syiah Kuala in Banda Aceh.

Her research experience abroad as a PhD student helped secure her a job with
the Asian Development Bank, helping to rebuild the shattered communities of Aceh
and Nias.

“My main tasks were supervising consultants in terms of land acquisition
and resettlement in the wake of the tsunami,” Izziah said in e-mail to Bernama
here.



“I was involved in helping to assess replacement costs, compensation
payments for householders and the whole consultation process around land
agreements. To achieve this, I had to bridge the gap between the local
governments, Indonesian Government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“I was also tasked with looking at the different implications of the
rebuilding process for men and women in any policies that were implemented in
the process.”

The Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Support Project, funded by the ADP,
covered houses, roads, bridges, schools, water, sanitation and power supplies
among other services and involved the largest reconstruction effort in
Indonesia’s history, costing US$294 million (RM972 million).

Izziah’s PhD thesis at the University of Adelaide , which focused on Aceh’s
architectural identity, proved a major advantage in her role in the rebuilding
programme.

“In my thesis I explored the cultural history of Aceh to reveal the role it
has played in shaping the contemporary history of Indonesia . I also examined
the influence of political developments in post-independent Indonesia on the
shaping of Aceh’s cultural, urban and architectural identity,” Izziah said.

“Being an Acehnese was a great advantage as I knew the customs and it
was
relatively easy for me to communicate with both local people and the
Government.”

Izziah submitted her completed thesis in 2009 and will graduate from the
University of Adelaide with a PhD in Architecture and Urban Design at a ceremony
at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Convention Centre, Singapore this Saturday.

-- BERNAMA