The webinar was aimed to look back on the biography that bridged the historical relationship between Indonesia and Poland, especially the one that was influenced by the work of Prof. Józef Zwierzycki.

Quoted from https://www.gov.pl/web/indonesia-id/Indonesia, Prof. Jozef Zwierzycki had contributed a major significance in the discovery of oil and gas deposits, as well as tin, gold, and silver. Józef Zwierzycki had also created the first geological map of Indonesia. He later also became a professor of Polytechnic Bandung (presently Institut Teknologi Bandung). The webinar was held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the death of Prof. Jozef Zwierzycki as an honorable figure who had an important role in the development of earth science and technology.

Polish Ambassador to Indonesia, H.E. Ms. Beata Stoczynska, delivered that Prof. Jozef Zwierzycki had demonstrated the power of wisdom, the knowledge in the field of mining as well as the strength of trust and patriotism during his lifetime. "It is truly important. Therefore, I hope the webinar can provide each of us the opportunity to focus on Prof. Jozef Zwierzycki’s professional achievement that has contributed fundamental value,” she said.

At the webinar, The Rector of ITB delivered a speech regarding the significance that Prof. Jozef Zwierzycki had contributed to ITB. The Rector explained that Professor Jozef Zwierzycki lived in Bandung, which at the moment used to be known as Paris van Java, and worked as a lecturer at Technische Hoogeschool (TH) in the 1930s.

"TH is presently known as Institut Teknologi Bandung, we are growing and serving more students and stakeholders, nationally and internationally. I hope our friends from Poland and Wroclaw University will be able to visit us in the future because I believe that they’d enjoy the atmosphere of ITB and Bandung," she said.

Prof. Reini believed that Prof. Jozef Zwierzycki is a dedicated person as well as an influential figure in the development of the geological world, both in Indonesia and poland. "We can learn from his experience in facing difficulties during World War II. He bravely escaped Auschwitz, and soon after he continued to actualize his desire in geological activities," he said.

One of the keynote speakers of the webinar was Prof. Koesoemadinata from ITB, The Father of Indonesian Oil and Gas, who delivered the presentation themed "An Introduction Into The Geology of Indonesia". Another keynote speaker was Dr. Hab Anna Goerecka-Nowak as The Head of the Stratigraphy Department at the University of Wroclaw, Poland. And the last speaker was Dr. J.T (Han) Van Gorsel, a geologist from the Netherlands.

"In the future we’d like to build a cyber lab for four study programs (cyber intelligence, technology, economics, and biomedical programs). We require laboratory technicians as well as the assistance of ITB. We’d like to hear input regarding further technology development and practical guidance," he explained.

Reporter: Adi Permana
Translator: Naffisa Adyan (Oceanography, 2019)