ITB Rector Opens Abhinaya Disaster Response Workshop and Gallery on Post-Disaster Recovery from Floods and Landslides

The Rector of Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Prof. Dr. Ir. Tatacipta Dirgantara, M.T., officially opened the Abhinaya Disaster Response Workshop and Gallery on Post-Disaster Recovery from Floods and Landslides, held at the East Hall and Soemardja Gallery, ITB, on Monday (12 January 2026). The event served as a space for reflection, academic discussion, and public engagement to raise awareness of disaster impacts as well as post-disaster recovery efforts in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Prof. Tatacipta Dirgantara stated that the event was designed to bridge academic discourse with public communication. “The workshop serves as a forum for academic discussion, while the gallery is open to the public to build awareness and concern about disaster risks,” he explained.

The ITB Rector emphasized that disaster management and recovery cannot be carried out by a single party or discipline alone. Therefore, ITB has taken on a strategic role as a connecting hub that brings together various universities so they do not work in isolation. “Through this forum, all stakeholders are connected, share roles, and work in a coordinated manner according to on-the-ground needs,” he said.

Prof. Tata also outlined a series of concrete actions undertaken by ITB in collaboration with the ITB Alumni Association and Rumah Amal Salman following the cyclone disaster on 25–26 November 2025. Beginning on 27 November, the collaboration moved swiftly to provide assistance, including the installation of clean water supply systems, well drilling and cleaning, provision of internet access, deployment of heavy equipment to clear mud-blocked channels, cleaning of public facilities and schools, as well as psychosocial support for affected communities.

On the same occasion, the ITB Rector also launched a book entitled “Rising from a Life Full of Mud”, which documents his journey visiting cyclone-affected areas in Aceh from 26–29 December 2026. The book is expected to raise public awareness and strengthen the spirit of mutual cooperation in facing disaster risks.