The Faculty of Engineering (FT) of Universitas Indonesia (UI) once again held the biannual Quality in Research (QiR) 2023 international conference on 23rd–24th of October 2023 in Bali. A total of 384 participants from 24 countries coming from various scientific fields with backgrounds in education, research, public institutions and organizations had the opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss technological developments in the world to achieve Net Zero Emissions.
Since its first implementation in 1998, QiR has become one of FTUI’s platforms to encourage technological development and innovative processes to support national and global development. This year, QiR had the theme “Navigating the Pathway to Achieve Net Zero Emissions through Green Technologies and Policies” which emphasized the urgency and importance of addressing environmental sustainability through technological advances and strategic policy decisions.
UI Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Dr. rer. Nat. Abdul Haris, in his speech said, “The QiR 2023 theme reflects our deep commitment at Universitas Indonesia to address the important issue of energy transition and our collaborative efforts to achieve zero emissions, both in Indonesia and on a global scale. We believe that by working hard, we can create a more sustainable and environmentally responsible world for the benefit of future generations.”
Meanwhile, the Dean of FTUI Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, ST., M.Eng., IPU., said, QiR 2023 is not just a conference, but a platform where individuals from various backgrounds come together to form and build networks of knowledge, innovation and collaboration. Starting Monday (23/10), 384 papers from 24 countries were presented. A total of 29 speakers who are also leading academics and researchers from 14 countries also shared their experiences and knowledge at 82 sessions held this year.
Furthermore, Prof. Heri said that in facing the challenges presented by this energy transition era, FTUI has carefully prepared various strategies and programs. “In the field of research, we are proud of our achievements in developing electric buses, which were also part of the transportation mode at the G20 meeting. This success is one example of the many research projects, prototypes and innovative products that FTUI has produced. In the education sector, we offer various study programs related to the energy transition,” said Prof. Heri.
Seven symposia became the forum and focus of discussion in this international conference, namely symposia in the fields of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical and Maritime Engineering, Chemical, Health and Biological Engineering, Architecture and Sustainable Environmental Development, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, and Industrial and Systems Engineering.
This year, FTUI collaborated with Indonesian Defense University as a Co-Host in organizing QiR. Lieutenant General Jonni Mahroza, Ph.D., Rector of the Indonesian Defense University delivered a keynote speech regarding the challenges in achieving net zero emissions from a defense and energy security perspective for Indonesia.
“The use of environmentally friendly energy technology and Green Defense along with Climate Peace Mission are important efforts that must be developed sustainably in the defense and security environment. Efforts to achieve net zero emissions in the military industry are carried out through various means such as collaborating with other countries in developing technology and best practices to reduce the environmental impact of military operations, tracking and reporting carbon emissions transparently, and supporting research and development of technology that helps reduce emissions,” said Lieutenant General Jonni Mahroza.
Discussions related to green technology and innovation towards net zero emissions were also delivered by the three QiR 2023 plenary speakers consisting of Prof. Seeram Ramakrishna from the National University of Singapore; Prof. Niall Mac Dowell of Imperial College London; and Prof. Widodo Wahyu Purwanto from UI. The three of them are experts in the field of energy and renewable energy from three leading educational institutions in the world.
QiR 2023 also collaborated with the 8th International Symposium on Biomedical Engineering (ISBE), the 7th International Tropical Renewable Energy Conference (ITREC), the 4th International Conference on Smart City Innovation (ICSCI), and the 3rd CSID-AUN SCUD International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure and Urban Development (CAIC-SIUD).
