Wrapped up
Friday, April 06, 2007
Maybe many of you do not realise that the last post was written by me, zura, zaki's wife. Well, the 'posted by zura' is written so small at the bottom of the post anyway. I forgot to mention that it was me instead of zaki in the post itself. He invited me as a contributor or a guess blogger to this blog.
As for now, zaki is too wrapped up in managing his plant and is mentally tortured to prepare his monthly plant report. This is his first as he is just assigned to be the Head of Department recently. His time in the office flies by and it is very restraining to his eyes from constant staring at the computer monitor. When he comes back home, he is literaly drained and it is very difficult for him to spend the evening in front of the laptop at home. I hope he will pass this stage of his career and soon can blog normally again.
Well, that's the reality of being a true chemical engineer. I wouldn't really understand wholeheartedly because I have never had any experience working in the industry and I found it quite hard to teach something that I've never done. If it is not because of the rarely held plant visit for the faculty staffs, I wouldn't even know how a real distillation column look like. It's ironic isn't it. Luckily we, the lecturers, just have to teach the theory behind designing those equipments in chemical plants. To really take care of a plant, you will have to experience it yourself and face all those troubleshooting task that you chemical engineers have to carry out in order to make the plant run smoothly.
Here in the faculty (FKKKSA, UTM) when I was an 'active' staff, meaning that I was not on study leave, I have to teach a subject called 'Unit Operation I and II' (now named Separation Processes 1 and 2). This is a sucject where you have to understand all the unit operations or equipment involved to separate gas-liquid, gas-gas, gas-solid, solid-solid, solid-liquid, and liquid-liquid mixtures of material in a chemical plant. This is including distillation columns, absorption columns, evaporators and crystallisers, among all. It is a tough subject for the students because the group of lecturers teaching this subject normally give exam questions which is out of the world difficult and unthinkable. The students fear this subject and the exam is full of suspence. As for me, I try to be as moderate as I can, but I certainly want to test the students' understanding on the subject.
I miss teaching but now I have to concentrate on my PhD so that I can serve my faculty again and give my little contribution in moulding the national asets.
posted by zura @ 10:51 AM,
2 Comments:
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At Friday, April 06, 2007,
ManaL said...
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Zura,
Yeah, better try to change this black b/ground layout so we cud see things better.
Hmmm...unit operation eh? yana did that too in her previous uni, UTP. Presumably, u have delivered the lectures far clearer than that fella, dr.ashri during our 1st year NCUK on this subject. He murdered it most of the time and he made his questions intangible and ultra-complicated?
From the mechanical aspects to the physical attribution by mass and heat transfer, yeah this is a tough subject and it requires a lecturer to break down the complex structures into a more simpler annotations in order to impart more interest and understanding of the details on the students. -
At Friday, April 06, 2007,
Kipas Repair JB said...
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It's a tough subject for me.....Now, I have 2 distillation columns in my plant....big one!!!
The Author
I’m Zaki. I used to be a project, process and chemical engineer. Few years ago I successfully became a Chartered Engineer (IChemE) and Professional Engineer (BEM). I'm now employed as a chemical engineering educator/researcher/consultant. Hope you like reading my blog. I welcome any feedback from you. My email: zaki.yz[alias]gmail.com. TQ!
