The AUNSEED-Net/JICA program is a joint education project and university network in Southeast Asia, with one of its goals being to enhance capacity for Master's and Doctoral programs at member universities. The Master’s Program in Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering at ITB at was chosen, at that time, to host this collaboration, accepting students from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

Every year, approximately 5-8 students are awarded AUNSEED-Net scholarships to study at ITB. This program has been running since 2003, and the Government of Indonesia is now continuing the scholarship program for international students through the Developing Country Partnership Scholarship.

About 40 alumni attended the reunion and spoke about their varied work trajectories after finishing their studies at ITB. In general, alumni stated that their time as an ITB student was one of the best experiences of their lives, and that the knowledge they obtained while studying at ITB was also very valuable in their self-development and later jobs. Activities outside of college, such as cultural introductions and tours to other locations in Indonesia, can also help students understand and learn more about the country.

The majority of these alumni are still working at their respective universities, both as lecturers and researchers, as well as in administrative positions, such as Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Dung, who is the Vice Director of the Technology Business Incubation Center at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and is now the Co Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of FiNNO Venture.

Some alumni spread their wings to become prominent leaders such as Department Chairs, as well as the Dean and Vice Dean. Some others work in industry, such as Vu Chi Tanh, who works for Vietnam Airlines. There are also alumni who have careers outside of their home countries, such as Dr. Sok Ratnak, who is currently an Associate Professor at Waseda University, Nguyen Van Bo, who is a researcher at A-Star and an adjunct professor in Singapore, and Nguyen Truong Tho and Nguyen Tran Nam, who work in England.

In addition to exchanging job information, the alumni shared information about their families. This program has produced two alumni: Dr. Can Sarin from Pnom Penh and Dr. Kinnaleth Vongchanh from Vientieane, Laos, both of whom married and now live in Cambodia.

Opportunities for collaboration between ITB and alumni were also considered during the reunion event, whether it was educational collaborations, research collaborations, or mentoring postgraduate students together. Activities like these are scheduled to take place on a regular basis in order to enhance the international ITB alumni network and to pave the way for additional collaborations.

Source: FTMD ITB

Translator: Sekar Dianwidi Bisowarno (Bioengineering, 2019)