Strengthen Global Collaboration, UNISMUH Makassar Architecture Department to Appear at iBEST 2025.

TEKNIK.UNISMUH.AC.ID, MAKASSAR — Dr. Ir. Ar. Irnawaty Idrus, lecturer from the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar, Architecture Study Program, is one of the keynote speakers at the 1st International Conference on Built Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iBEST 2025) organized by Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK).

The event took place on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, from 09.00 to 17.00 Malaysia time, and was broadcast online via Facebook Live as part of the IDEA @Kelantan Festival.

This international conference features the theme "Shaping a Sustainable Future: Innovating for Tomorrow’s Built Environment" with two keynote speakers, Deny Willy Junaidy, Ph.D. from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), and Dr. Ir. Ar. Irnawaty Idrus from Universitas Muhammadiyah Makassar.

In her presentation titled "Towards Sustainable Learning Environments: Alternative Metrics for Daylight Comfort in the Tropics", Dr. Irnawaty explained the importance of creating sustainable learning environments in tropical regions, with attention to natural lighting comfort as an important factor in school architecture design.

"Through this research, I want to encourage architects and academics to pay more attention to visual comfort in learning spaces, especially in tropical areas. Sustainable design is not just about energy efficiency, but also about creating spaces that support human learning quality," said Dr. Irnawaty Idrus in her presentation session.

The conference was moderated by Dr. Nurul Izzati Binti Othmani and Encik Muhammad Rizal Bin Khairuddin from the Faculty of Architecture and Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. Participants attending the event online came from various higher education institutions in Southeast Asia.

Dr. Irnawaty's participation in this international forum is a testament to the contribution of the Faculty of Engineering, UNISMUH Makassar, in developing architectural science and sustainable development at the global level.

"This opportunity is a valuable one to share research results and expand academic networks across countries. Hopefully, international research collaborations can continue to be strengthened," she added.

The iBEST 2025 event is expected to be a forum for exchanging innovative ideas in the fields of built environment, sustainability, and future technology, as well as strengthening academic relationships between UNISMUH Makassar and partner universities in Southeast Asia.