A Flashback

The first seminar discussed about the history of FMIPA ITB and its development, which included graduate study, post-graduate, researches, and future expectation. Prof. Dr. Bambang Hidayat, Prof. Dr. Ansjar, Prof. Dr. Tjia May On, and Prof. Dr. Sjamsul Arifin Achmad were the panel speakers in this session. Prof. Ansjar told a bit about the history of FMIPA ITB that needs to be remembered by today’s FMIPA students. 70 years ago established the Faculty of Exact Sciences and Natural Sciences of University of Indonesia (FIPIA UI) which was the groundwork for FMIPA ITB. History stated the merging between FIPIA UI and Faculty of Engineering UI in 1959. They formed the Department of Exact Science and Natural Sciences of Institut Teknologi Bandung (DIPIA ITB), which is named today as FMIPA ITB.

FIPIA UI was the first university established in Indonesia that specialized in science. It was the home to the big family of science higher education because it covered Basic Sciences, Life Sciences, Pharmacy, and Earth Sciences. Those groups comprised Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Meteorology, Geophysics, and Geology. After several organizational structure changes in ITB, some of these sciences established its own family under School of Pharmacy (SF), School of Life Sciences and Technology (SITH), and Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology (FITB). FMIPA ITB today is the home to only Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Astronomy.

Facing Challenges Together

The second and third session was carried out after the break at noon. In this session, the panelist discussed the challenges that await FMIPA ITB in the future in 2045 (100 years of Indonesia). Dr. Sri Nurdiati (General Secretary of MIPA-NET) and Prof. Dr. Umar Fauzi became the panelist in the session. Visitors’ got their knowledge broaden with discussion about the challenge of FMIPA according to other disciplines in the third session. The session invited Hari Tjahjono (President Director of Abyor International, Prof. Dr. Hasanuddin Z. Abidin (Head of Geospatial Information Agency), and Prof. Dr. Yasraf A. Piliang.

Besides discussing the dynamics in FMIPA, the seminar also discussed the role of FMIPA in popularizing sciences, both through science education for kids, or through Magister Program in Teaching. The panelists in the session were experts that dedicate themselves to socialize sciences, they were Prof. Dr. Hendra Gunawan, Prof. Dr. Premana W. Premadi, Prof. Dr. Alexander A. Iskandar, and Prof. Dr. Djulia Onggo. They are lecturers in Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics, and Chemistry Study Programs, respectively. The last explanation was carried out by Prof. Dr. Djulia Onggo about Magister of Science Teaching in FMIPA ITB. “There were many things FMIPA has done to socialize sciences for our nation. However, only about 0.1% teachers enjoyed the learning atmosphere in ITB. In the future, it is expected that there will be greater effort to do promotion, approach, and other efforts to scale up the number of teacher that study in ITB,” said Prof. Djulia.