On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI) received another valuable research grant of 12,000 USD from the Osaka Gas Foundation. Two selected FTUI lecturers and researchers, Ir. Jaka Fajar Fatriansyah, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D. from the Department of Metallurgy and Materials, and Eny Kusrini, S.Si., Ph.D. from the Department of Chemical Engineering, had the opportunity to become recipients of this year’s research grants.
The Osaka Gas Research Grant 2023/2024 handover ceremony took place at FTUI and was attended by Dr.rer.pol. Romadhani Ardi, S.T., M.T. (FTUI Manager of Student Affairs, Research, and Community Service), Prof. Dr. Ir. Akhmad Herman Yuwono, M.Phil.Eng (Secretary of FTUI Engineering Interdisciplinary Education and Research Unit), Tikka Anggraeni, S.Sos., M.Si., CPR. (Manager of Public Communication and General Administration of FTUI), Mr. Koji Kato (Executive Director of Osaka Gas Foundation of International Cultural Exchange), Mr. Kazuo Pontoh (Representative of OGFICE Japan in Jakarta), and the grantees for 2021 and 2022.
In his speech, Dr. Dhani highlighted the significance of this long-term cooperation program. “This cooperation has become one of the main pillars in supporting research development at FTUI. Osaka Gas’ support has made many meaningful contributions to FTUI researchers. We look forward to maintaining and enhancing this already strong relationship to create an even greater positive impact in the future.”
The Osaka Gas Foundation, established in 1992, aims to deepen research between Japan and natural gas-producing countries. The cooperation between FTUI and Osaka Gas has been going on for more than 30 years in the form of research grants specifically in the theme of energy or environmental issues globally.
“Osaka Gas Foundation is determined to continue to fully support research development activities at FTUI continuously. We hope this program will produce works that contribute to the advancement of education at the university and provide tangible benefits to society as a whole,” said Mr. Koji in his speech.
The ceremony continued with the symbolic handover of grant funds to Osaka Gas research grantees in 2023. In this session, Jaka Fajar presented his research topic entitled ‘Synthesis and Azo Dye Photodegradation Performance Optimization of Agricultural Waste-Based Mesoporous Silica TiO2/RGO Composite Thin Film to Improve Water Quality’, while Eny Kusrini presented her research topic on ‘Production of Carbon Nanofibers from Empty Fruit Bunches as Electrode Material for Supercapacitors via Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition and Electrospinning’.
The event also involved the 2022 grantees, Rahma Muthia, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., and Muhammad Ibadurrohman, Ph.D (DIC). Rahma Muthia presented her research on ‘Techno-enviro-economic Assessment of Floating Photovoltaic-to-Hydrogen Technology on the Jatiluhur Reservoir for the Green Hydrogen Injection into Natural Gas Pipelines Networks’, while Muhammad Ibadurrohman presented his research on ‘Development of g-C3N4-based Photoanodes for Photoelectrochemical Hydrogen Production Utilizing Pharmaceutical Wastes as Anodic Sacrificial Agents’.
“For more than three decades, Osaka Gas Foundation has assisted 91 FTUI researchers with a total funding of USD 360,000. With the strong cooperation between Osaka Gas Foundation and FTUI, we hope to create real solutions for future challenges, especially in the fields of energy and environment,” said Dean of FTUI, Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, ST., M.Eng., IPU.
***
Public Communication Bureau
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia