The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Indonesia recently organized the International Short Course in Engineering, a collaborative program between FTUI and Tokyo University of Agricultural and Technology (TUAT). The program took place over two weeks (February 12-23, 2024) under the theme “Innovation Across Borders: Advancements in Biomass Valorization in Indonesia.” The program, conducted in collaboration with the MODIRPEN Unit and the Department of Chemical Engineering, was non-credit and involved 11 students from TUAT.
“The Chemical Engineering Department of FTUI has long been collaborating with one of TUAT’s professors, Prof. Masafumi Yohda, and we are delighted that the partnership between FTUI and TUAT continues to evolve, resulting in the implementation of this International Short Course in Engineering program. We hope that through this program, participants can gain cross-cultural learning experiences in both academic and non-academic aspects, benefiting both universities,” said Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU, the Dean of FTUI.
“Through this program, we hope that our students gain learning experiences with different cultures and expand their networking for future engineering collaborations between Indonesia and Japan, contributing to building a global civilization,” expressed Prof. Masafumi Yohda, a Professor at the Institute of Engineering TUAT.
Academic activities in the International Short Course in Engineering included academic discussions, research projects, joint case studies with FTUI students, and industrial visits. Academic discussions were led by Prof. Dr.-Ing., Misri Gozan, M.Tech, IPU (Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering) on the topic of “Bioethanol Production towards Clean Energy: Case Study of Corn Cob-Based Bioethanol using SuperPro Designer,” and Dr. Ibnu Maulana Hidayatullah, S.T., M.T. (Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering) on the topic of “Production of Bioethanol from Sugarcane Residue.”
During the research project activity, students were taught to process data on bioethanol production from various biomass sources using SuperPro Designer. In the case study activity, TUAT students were divided into small groups with FTUI Chemical Engineering students.
TUAT students also made two industrial visits to PT Yokogawa Indonesia and PT Unilever Indonesia. PT Yokogawa Indonesia is a Japanese company specializing in the production of measurement and instrumentation equipment, as well as being a leading provider of automation, testing, and industrial measurement solutions, located in Plaza Oleos, Jakarta. Meanwhile, PT Unilever Indonesia is a subsidiary of Unilever known for its significant role in the production of consumer goods. The industrial visit was conducted at the Unilever Savoury Factory located in Jababeka, Bekasi.
Throughout the FTUI-TUAT short program, participants were introduced to Indonesian culture through Bahasa Indonesia language classes, visits to cultural sites, and various Indonesian cultural workshops. The Bahasa Indonesia language classes consisted of three sessions, providing TUAT students with an opportunity to learn the Indonesian language. Cultural tours were conducted at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah and the National Monument (Monas). Additionally, cultural workshops included pottery classes at the F. Widayanto Ceramics House and a workshop on the gamelan musical instrument organized by UI Makara Art Center (MAC).
Motoharu Aoki, one of the TUAT students, expressed his joy at being part of the program. “I have gained many new experiences during this program. The industrial visits were very impressive to me as I gained many new insights into the world of technology and industrial processes. We also enjoyed participating in various language and cultural introduction activities in Indonesia.”
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Public Communication Office
Faculty of Engineering, University of Indonesia
