18 University of Queensland (UQ) students who were in the New Colombo Plan (NCP) program at the University of Indonesia, played pentatonic gamelan music at Makara Art Center UI. The students’ participation was a contribution to the program ‘Innovations Across Borders: Advancing Sustainable Chemical Engineering Practices Globally’, and the Faculty of Engineering UI as the host of the NCP program collaborated with the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture, and Information Technology (EAIT) UQ. NCP is a signature initiative of the Australian Government offering Australian undergraduates prestigious scholarships and grants for the opportunity to live, study, and undertake internships/mentorships in the Indo-Pacific region, including Indonesia. This program will be held from 15 to 19 January 2024, involving 18 students from EAIT-UQ.
“This program will provide experience and insight into chemical engineering and professional development in the global environment in Indonesia. We hope the students employ this opportunity to learn about Indonesia from an academic and cultural perspective. We think educating students to earn lessons and experience is a priority,” said Prof. Dr. Ir. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU., Dean of Faculty of Engineering UI.
Meanwhile, Senior Lecturer at the School of Chemical Engineering, University of Queensland, Beverly Coulter, said, “We are delighted to be back. Last year, we brought 40 UQ students to the Faculty of Engineering UI, and in 2024 we will bring 18 of our students to get to know the Faculty of Engineering and the University of Indonesia. Besides the academic activities, students will also learn Indonesian culture. We hope that connections and networks can be established between future engineers from Indonesia and Australia. Hopefully, the relationship between UQ and UI will be stronger.”
NCP activities include academic and non-academic activities. Academic activities include academic talks, case studies with Faculty of Engineering UI students, and industrial visits. The academic discussion with two professors and lecturers from the Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering UI. Prof. Ir. Kamarza Mulia, M.Sc., Ph.D. regarding the Application of DESs to Improve the Sustainability of (Bio)Chemical Processes and Dr. Intan Clarissa So-phiana, S.T., M.T about Revolutionizing Chemical Engineering: Maximizing Efficiency through Process Intensification. In the case study activity, EAIT-UQ students were divided into several groups to discuss with students from the Chemical Engineering Department UI.
Furthermore, students from UQ also had an industrial visit to Gunung Raja Paksi LLC. This company is a steel manufacturing company founded in 1970 in Medan, North Sumatra, and a member of the Gunung Steel Group, one of the largest private steel companies in Indonesia. Students learn the process of processing steel using chemical engineering and historical facts.
They also get non-academic experience which is an introduction to Indonesian culture and language, including gamelan and pottery workshops. Students can gain a deeper understanding of the diversity in Indonesia. They also visited Taman Mini Indonesia Indah where they could witness the diversity of traditional houses in every region in Indonesia.
Lilia Virtue, one of the EAIT-UQ students, said, “We are very happy to learn new things about Indonesia. I am looking forward to cultural activities where we learn about the cultural diversity Indonesia has. This is a valuable experience for us to understand and appreciate the uniqueness of local culture. The opportunity to visit local industry is also something I look forward to. We hope we can get insight into the application of chemistry from industry in Indonesia.”
