The National Student Science Week (Pekan Ilmiah Mahasiswa Nasional or PIMNAS) is an annual scientific competition organized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia. This event serves as the culmination of the Student Creativity Program (Program Kreativitas Mahasiswa or PKM) and aims to enhance students' creativity and innovation across various fields of study.
In 2024, the 37th PIMNAS was held at Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, under the theme "Competing to Hone the Creativity of Talented Indonesian Students to Become Solutive, Innovative, and Productive Individuals." The event was attended by hundreds of teams from universities across Indonesia, who presented their projects and research findings.
The Kitograph Team from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) won a bronze medal at the 37th PIMNAS with their project titled Kitograph Filter: An Integrated Water Filter Innovation Using rGO/Nanokitosan from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Waste as a Solution for Clean Water and Proper Sanitation. The team, consisting of five FMIPA USU students, was mentored by Dr. Ir. Zikri Noer, S.Si., M.Si.
This achievement reflects the commitment and dedication of USU students to innovating and providing solutions to environmental and public health challenges.