The Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (FTUI), in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), held the Global Outreach Program from September 22-26, 2024. The program aimed to strengthen academic cooperation and broaden the perspectives of FTUI Biomedical Engineering students and students from the Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences (Biomehs) Student Society at UTM.
The program opened with remarks from the Head of the Biomedical Engineering Program at FTUI, Dr. Basari, S.T., M.Eng., who introduced the history of Biomedical Engineering. “Since its inauguration in 2018, the Biomedical Engineering program is now in its 6th cohort, with three cohorts having already graduated. Many of the graduates have gone on to work in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, medical device, and other related sectors,” said Dr. Basari.
Dr. Eng. Ir. Arief Udhiarto, S.T., M.T., Head of the Electrical Engineering Department (DTE) at FTUI, stated, “This program is an opportunity for knowledge and experience exchange for both FTUI and UTM students. It is hoped that the students will inspire one another and contribute to advancing knowledge in biomedical technology and electrical engineering in general.”
Dr. Mohamad Ikhwan Jamaludin, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at UTM, quoted a famous phrase by Soekarno, “Give me ten youths, and I will shake the world,” to illustrate the immense potential of young people in shaping the world. “Let’s make the most of this opportunity to build international networks, exchange knowledge, and share cultural experiences. Use this program as a chance to experience cross-country learning.”
For five days, participants were engaged in various academic and cultural activities. As part of the academic activities, participants visited research facilities at i-CELL and Science Techno Park (STP), followed by a lab tour. Biomehs UTM students were also introduced to FTUI’s Biomedical Engineering courses, followed by a student project and research sharing session led by UTM graduate student, Nurin Tihani.
One of the main activities of the program was the Hands-on Education and Remote Tele-Health Biomedical Engineering and Technology (HEARTBEAT) Workshop. This workshop involved collaboration between UI and UTM students, where they worked in teams to design and create electronic stethoscopes. After the workshop, the teams competed to complete their projects without facilitator assistance, with their performance evaluated based on speed and accuracy.
Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU, Dean of FTUI, stated, “This program is a step toward expanding the long-standing cooperation between the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. I believe that cross-cultural knowledge exchange will have a positive impact on students, helping them develop biomedical technology in the future. I hope this spirit of collaboration will continue through joint research, technological innovation, and deeper knowledge exchange,” he concluded.
In addition to academic activities, Biomehs UTM students were introduced to cultural activities, including enjoying various Indonesian traditional foods and visiting several iconic locations in Jakarta. The program also featured cultural exchange discussions between students from both universities. As the student organization representing UI Biomedical Engineering, the Association of Biomedical Engineering (ASBE) played a key role in hosting and facilitating the UTM students throughout the program. Through this collaboration, it is hoped that innovations will emerge to contribute to the advancement of health technology in the future.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering Universitas Indonesia
