MALAYSIAN STUDENTS' SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT TO THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN EGYPT, MOROCCO, AND JORDAN

Purpose of the study: This study examines the social adjustment of Malaysian students studying in Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan. Quantitative, comparative and case study methods were used. Methodology: Through the questionnaire, in which the social adjustment of the students to the university campus was defined, a total of 587 questionnaires were answered by Malaysian students studying in the three countries. SPSS software was used to carry out the calculation of the mean, t-test, ANOVA and Tukey HSD analysis. Main Findings: The outcome of the analysis shows that Malaysian male and female students reached the medium level of social adjustment in the three countries. The differences in the means of female and male responses have no significance. Malaysian student's adjustment to the class climate was higher than that of the environment outside. Malaysian students more adjusted with a university campus in Jordan and Egypt than they are in Morocco. Applications of this study: This study showed a view of conditions Malaysian students in Jordan, Morocco, and Egypt. It will be helpful for students, universities, teachers to be aware of foreign students’ social adjustment issues and pay more attention to this particular problem. Novelty/Originality of this study: This paper found Malaysian students are more adjusted to the university campus in Jordan and Egypt than they are in Morocco. This suggests that Morocco is a better destination for study for Malaysian students as long as the social adjustment is concerned

Methods of harvesting water from air for sustainable buildings in hot and tropical climates

A rapid rise in demand for fresh and potable water every day has impacted global water resources that become an international matter of significant concern in keeping with the global population's fast growth. Although tropical countries receive abundant rainfall levels throughout the year, the lack of access and supply of clean water in many rural areas in this region considers an environmental challenge of this century. Atmospheric air represents a reservoir of clean water with an estimated quantity of 12,900 km3, while the amount of renewable fresh water on the planet is approximately 12,500 km3. Therefore, there is a need for new sustainable methods to provide a supplementary water supply for buildings. This research aims to examine passive methods and mechanisms of extracting water from ambient air that can be used in tropical buildings compared to rainwater harvesting systems. The methodology is based on a comprehensive review to explore the potential methods, challenges and opportunities for collecting atmospheric water on-site in the tropics. Analytical evaluation of approaches, mechanisms, systems' productivity and performance was conducted. The research results revealed two technical ways that would be effective to extract water from humid air, namely: regenerative solar desiccant/collector and dew water condensation systems. This study would help to shape the application of Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) that is expected to be more cost-effective, sustainable and adaptable to tropical building applications

Performance evaluation of solar-powered atmospheric water harvesting using different glazing materials in the tropical built environment: an experimental study

Water scarcity is a global issue, and its severity is expected to worsen in the near future, prompting further efforts to find new sources of freshwater. Solar-Powered Atmospheric Water Harvesting (SPAWH) is a promising passive approach for atmospheric water generation. This study aims to examine the thermal performance of different glazing materials and water production in SPAWH. The research consists of two phases: a laboratory test of various glazing materials and an experimental study to assess system efficiency in producing water in the tropics. The preliminary results indicated that glass demonstrated better thermal performance than acrylic in the lab, with higher thermal conductivity and less heat loss. The experimental findings showed that the maximum water produced by the proposed SPAWH (60 cm length, 60 cm width and 30 cm height) placed on a 30° tilt angle using glass (3 mm) and acrylic (3 mm) was 0.61 L/m2/day and 0.44 L/m2/day, respectively. The cost analysis revealed that produced water costs $0.18/kg for glass and$0.40/kg for acrylic, respectively. Atmospheric water could be harvested using SPAWH in the tropics, which would help to provide new opportunities for sustainable water supplies and development in these regions