The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (DTSL FTUI), once again reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening global collaboration in education, research, and technology development through the organization of the International Seminar on Disaster Management. This international seminar was a collaborative initiative between Universitas Indonesia, Ehime University, and T-MEC Co., Ltd., in cooperation with the Indonesian Society for Geotechnical Engineering (HATTI) and the Civil Engineering Division of the Indonesian Engineers Association (BK Sipil PII). The event was organized under the leadership of Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Ir. Abdul Halim Hamdany, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., as part of efforts to strengthen academic, professional, and industrial synergies in advancing disaster resilience and sustainable infrastructure.
The seminar, held on Tuesday (April 28) at the K-301 Auditorium FTUI, was attended by Dr. Erly Bahsan, S.T., M.Kom., as Head of the Department, along with academics, industry practitioners, civil and geotechnical engineering professionals, and students from various institutions. The keynote speakers included Prof. Ir. Widjojo Adi Prakoso, M.Sc., Ph.D., from the Department of Civil Engineering, and Prof. Naoki Kinoshita from Ehime University, followed by presentations from representatives of Ehime University, T-MEC Co., Ltd., Asano Taiseikiso Engineering Co., Ltd., and Yokogawa Electric Co., Ltd.
The event series began with an official opening and remarks from the Dean of FTUI. In his speech, Prof. Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., expressed his appreciation to all partners involved.
“This seminar represents a strategic step in strengthening international collaboration, particularly in the development of education, research, and technology that support disaster resilience. Indonesia requires multidisciplinary approaches and global partnerships to deliver responsive solutions to increasingly complex disaster challenges,” said Prof. Kemas.
One of the key moments of the event was the handover ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Universitas Indonesia and Ehime University. The signing of the MoU marked the commitment of both institutions to establishing long-term collaboration in the fields of academics, research, student exchange, and the development of innovation and technology.
Prof. Kemas emphasized that this partnership is expected to evolve into various concrete programs that provide tangible benefits for both institutions and the wider community.
“We hope this partnership will not end with today’s seminar, but will continue to grow into sustainable initiatives such as student exchanges, international internship programs, joint research, and applied innovations that can directly contribute to strengthening infrastructure resilience and community preparedness,” he added.
Following the opening session, the seminar continued with keynote presentations addressing various strategic issues related to disaster management, infrastructure resilience enhancement, geotechnical risk mitigation, and technological innovation in disaster response. Interactive discussions between speakers and participants also became an important part of the event, creating opportunities for the exchange of knowledge and experiences among academics, practitioners, and professionals from Indonesia and Japan.
The seminar served as a strategic platform to strengthen knowledge exchange between Indonesia and Japan, particularly in the fields of geotechnical engineering, disaster mitigation, and resilient infrastructure development. Discussions focused on the development of innovative solutions to address increasingly complex disaster challenges, including earthquakes, land subsidence, and infrastructure stability issues.
As a country located within the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia faces a high level of vulnerability to various natural disasters. Therefore, strengthening national capacity in disaster mitigation and management has become an urgent necessity that requires synergy among educational institutions, industry, professional organizations, and international partners.
Through this international seminar, FTUI continues to demonstrate its active role as a leading engineering education institution contributing to the development of science- and technology-based solutions for global challenges, while also strengthening Indonesia’s position within the international academic network in the fields of disaster mitigation and resilient infrastructure engineering.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering Universitas Indonesia
