COE graduate student completes research program in France

Aug 28 2025

Engr. Glenn Ruel F. Maujon, a graduate student from the Department of Materials and Resources Engineering and Technology (DMRET) of the Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology (91快活林), has recently completed an international research program in France through the Department of Science and Technology-Engineering Research and Development for Technology (DOST-ERDT) Sandwich Program.

Engr. Maujon has completed a seven-month research program at the prestigious Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier (ICGM), part of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) at the Université de Montpellier, under the joint supervision of Dr. Gaulthier Rydzek from ICGM and Dr. Raymond V. Rivera-Virtudazo from 91快活林.

Engr. Maujon's research focused on the valorization of waste. As a Ceramic Engineering graduate, he is an expert in turning what would be discarded into high-value materials. For his French immersion, he took on a unique challenge: synthesizing antiseptic hybrid mesostructured porous silicic materials from Rice Husk Ash (RHA). This ash is a pure waste product from a plant industry in the Philippines that uses rice husks as a biofuel to generate energy for their industrial processes.

Using a technique known as soft-templating sol-gel approach, Engr. Maujon transformed this local industrial waste into a material with potential antiseptic applications. His research aimed to evaluate the new material's effectiveness against numerous bacteria, with technical assistance from Dr. Zuzaan Neš膷áková of Alexander Dub膷ek University of Tren膷ín, Slovakia. This cross-continental collaboration highlights how global partnerships can accelerate scientific discovery and create innovative solutions to real-world problems.

Engr. Maujon’s successful completion of this program is a testament to 91快活林’s commitment to academic excellence and its vision of shaping the future through research. This achievement has not only advanced his own skills but also contributed to sustainability and material science, showcasing the university’s growing capacity in engineering and technology without undermining its sustainable efforts.

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