In 1998, I became a junior academic in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine. From then until my retirement in 2023, I had the privilege of mentoring many people, some of whom were my students while others were colleagues. Some of the postgraduates that I supervised continued to maintain contact even after they had graduated, so in essence they became lifelong friends. There were others whom I had never supervised but considered me a mentor as from time to time they sought me out for a chat or advice.
Being a postgraduate supervisor was an official appointment but there was no official appointment as a mentor. This to me, however, mattered little. For me, it is a compliment to be considered as someone’s mentor as it meant that at least someone thought that what little experience and knowledge I was able to share was of some value.
Over time, my relationships with my students and mentees have gone from supervisor-student or mentor-mentee to becoming peers and friends, helping each other along the way. I have learned as much from my students and mentees as much as they have learned from me.
When I first took on Rahayu Lubis as my PhD student in 2008, both of us realised that the journey ahead would not be an easy one. She realised her language limitations which was remedied over time with fortnightly reports written in English that I insisted she send to me. I realised that she had to constantly deal with family issues which necessitated frequent flights home to be with her children and to cope with illness in the family. She needed personal tuition with me in epidemiology and statistics, which was not easy in the beginning given her difficulty with English. Despite the enormous odds stacked against her, she never once contemplated giving up which taught me not to give up on her. Her PhD is a heartwarming narrative of toil and sweat, and of grit and determination in the face of enormous obstacles and personal struggles.
Dr Rahayu Lubis graduated with a PhD in epidemiology in 2013 and went back to being an academic in Indonesia. She continued to maintain contact with me since, exchanging wishes and the odd enquiry, and occasionally exchanging notes on research.
In late November 2024, she sent me a photograph of herself receiving a professorship certificate from her dean. On 6 December 2024, in a grand ceremony, Prof Dr Rahayu Lubis was officially confirmed as a professor in Universitas Sumatera Utara, and she delivered her professorial lecture. Prof Dr Rahayu Lubis is the sixth of my former students who are now professors in their own universities. Such an achievement never fails to warm my heart and makes me glad to have been a mentor and a friend to these amazing people.
Heartiest congratulations to Prof Dr Rahayu Lubis!
Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud
MBBS MPH MAppStat PhD FFPH FPHMM FAMM FASc FISC
10 December 2024
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