The Alumni Association of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia (ILUMET FTUI), successfully held a Town Hall to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering (DTMM) UI. The event, themed “Leadership that Forges Innovation and Strengthens the Nation within the National Strategic Materials Ecosystem”, took place on Thursday (October 9) at Bale Nusa Pakubuwono, South Jakarta.
The event served as a strategic forum that brought together five key pillars of national development: academia, government (represented by the Ministry of Industry), the military, the mining industry, and the transportation sector.
The event was officially opened by Dr. Deni Ferdian, Head of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering FTUI, and featured Dr. Andi Rizaldi, Head of the Agency for Standardization and Industrial Services Policy at the Ministry of Industry of the Republic of Indonesia, as the keynote speaker.
In his address, Dr. Andi emphasized the importance of industrial independence amid the rapidly changing global landscape, often described as the VUCA era (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity). “The strongest lifeboat for Indonesia’s economy is a solid national industrial carrier. Industrial independence is a strategic step to transform dependency into strength and economic sovereignty. This is a long journey that requires cooperation, innovation, and strong political will,” he said.
The panel discussion featured cross-sector speakers, including Rear Admiral (TNI) Aditya Kumara (Expert Staff to the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces), Ridho Lestari, S.T. (Technical Director, PT Bukit Makmur Resources / Mining Association), Daud Joseph, S.T., M.G.M. (Director of Operations and Safety, PT Transjakarta), and Prof. Dr. Ir. Bondan Tiara Sofyan (Professor of Metallurgy & Materials, Universitas Indonesia and former Director General of Defense Potential, Ministry of Defense, 2018–2020).
The Role of Metallurgy and Materials in the National Strategic Ecosystem
The forum focused on the crucial role of Metallurgy and Materials Science and Technology in supporting three national strategic agendas: defense industry independence, sustainable mining downstreaming, and strengthening national public transportation systems.
Rear Admiral Aditya Kumara underscored the importance of material innovation in developing Indonesia’s primary defense systems (Alutsista). “Defense independence greatly depends on strong mastery of local material technology. Forums like this bridge the gap between military specifications and applied research at universities,” he stated.
From the mining sector, Ridho Lestari highlighted the challenges of industrial downstreaming. “Indonesia is rich in nickel, copper, and bauxite. However, innovative leadership in metallurgical engineering is essential so that we move beyond processing to high-value manufacturing industries—building resilient supply chains and ensuring sustainable raw material supplies,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Daud Joseph, Director of Operations at PT Transjakarta, emphasized the urgency of optimizing materials to improve the performance and durability of public transportation components. “The performance and durability of components such as chassis, engines, and body frames are directly correlated with passenger safety. Materials engineering plays a crucial role in improving these aspects,” he said.
Concluding the discussion, Prof. Bondan Tiara Sofyan shared his insights on the importance of innovative and resilient leadership nurtured within the academic environment. “Great national leaders are shaped by clear career development pathways for alumni, family support, and a legacy of excellence known as Prophetic Leadership. Universitas Indonesia is ready to serve as a locomotive for research collaboration and human resource development to realize the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045 through mastery of metallurgy and materials,” he remarked.
Strategic Recommendations
The Town Hall forum produced several strategic recommendations, summarized by Askar Triwiyanto, Ph.D., Chair of the Indonesian Metallurgy and Materials Association, including:
1. Joint Research Programs:
Initiating collaborative research projects between the mining industry, government, and Universitas Indonesia, particularly on the development of critical materials.
2. Adaptive Metallurgy Curriculum:
Encouraging updates to university curricula to align with future competency needs in the defense, transportation, and downstream industries.
3. Innovation Policy Forum:
Establishing a regular forum between the Ministry of Industry, academia, and industry to accelerate the standardization and certification of domestically produced materials.
Through this forum, ILUMET FTUI and the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering FTUI reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cross-sector collaboration in support of national industrial independence and accelerating the development of strategic materials innovation for Golden Indonesia 2045.
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia
