The history of the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI) began with an offer made from young engineers belonging to the Society of Engineers Indonesia (PII), to the first President of the Republic Indonesia, Bung Karno, for the renovations of the heavily damaged main streets of Jakarta. At that time Jakarta was preparing for the International Sports Event, the GANEFO. This bid was welcomed by President Soekarno. The young engineers were granted permission to start the renovations under the condition that all work must be completed within two weeks period.
Headed by Ir. Bratanata, Ir. Roosseno, Ir. Sutami, and Ir. A.R. Soehoed, the project was completed on time. After successful accomplishment of the street renovation project, these young engineers with their iron will felt that there was more that they could do to serve our country. But what? Then they thought of a brilliant idea: “Why not establish an engineering faculty in Jakarta as an alternative to the one in Bandung? This way those residing in the country’s capital would not need to travel far to Bandung for an engineering education”.
During the ceremonial event of Lenso dancing at the Pembangunan Building (formerly known as Pola Building) to welcome the GANEFO guests of honor, the young engineers brought their idea to President Soekarno to which he
responded by inviting them to the Presidential Palace the next day. During the meeting in the Presidential Palace, the President wholeheartedly approved of the idea and even directly appointed Prof. Ir. Rooseno as the first Dean of
the Faculty of Engineering. The President also instructed that the new Faculty of Engineering would be part of the University of Indonesia under the leadership of its Rector, dr. Syarief Thayeb.
The Establishment of Faculty of Engineering UI
Once dr. Syarief Thayeb served as the Minister of Higher Education and Science, he issued Decree No. 76 dated July 17, 1964 regarding the establishment of the Faculty of Engineering. Faculty of Engineering was officially established
in Jakarta without any official ceremony or celebration, under the banner of the University of Indonesia as youngest faculty. And so the history of the Faculty of Engineering Universitas Indonesia began with the first three Study Programs with their respective Head of Study Programs: Ir. Sutami as Head of Civil Engineering Study Program, Ir. Ahmad Sayuti as Head of Mechanical Engineering Study Program and Ir. K. Hadinoto as Head of Electrical Engineering Study Program.
The Metallurgy and Architecture Study Programs were opened the following year with their respective Head of Study Programs: Dr.Ing. Purnomosidhi H. and Ir. Sunaryo S.. Ir. Roosseno as Dean was assisted by Ir. Sutami as Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Ir. Slamet Bratanata as Vice Dean for Administration and Finance and Dr. Ing Purnomosidhi H. as Vice Dean for Student Affairs and Alumni.
In its early acitivities in 1964, Faculty of Engineering UI was supported by 30 lecturers and 11 non-academic employees offering a 32 course subject curriculum. The first class of Faculty of Engineering UI consisted of 199 students. In five and a half years, 18 of them had successfully completed their study and graduated as certified Engineers. In 1985, the study program Gas Engineering (originally under the Metallurgy Study Program) joined the study program Chemical Engineering (originally under the Mechanical Study Program) and formed the Gas and Petrochemical Engineering Study Program with its first Head of Study Program, Dr. Ir. H. Rachmantio.
The Industrial Engineering Study Program, the youngest Study Program in Faculty of Engineering UI, was opened in 1999 with its first Head of Study Program, Ir. M. Dachyar, M.Sc. The term Study Program was later changed to
Department and is still used today.
