Dozens of Indonesian alumni who studied at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, also known as Tokyo Tech, attended the Tokyo Tech Indonesia Alumni Association launch at the SGLC Building, UGM Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM) on Wednesday (Aug. 14).
The association is named Kuramae-Indonesia. The event brought together Tokyo Tech alumni, who now work across various institutions as educators, researchers, and practitioners. Tokyo Tech President Dr. Kazuya Masu also attended the inauguration of the association.
In addition to making a courtesy visit to UGM, Dr. Masu is scheduled to visit Universitas Indonesia (UI), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), and Sampoerna University. UGM, UI, and ITB are the three universities in Indonesia with the highest number of alumni pursuing master’s and doctoral studies at Tokyo Tech.
Notably, Professor Panut Mulyono, who served as the Rector of UGM from 2017 to 2022, is an alumnus of Tokyo Tech.
During the event’s opening, Professor Muslikhin Hidayat, the Vice Dean for Finance, Assets, and Human Resources at FT UGM, expressed great enthusiasm for the alumni’s initiative to form this association.
Professor Hidayat stated that the primary goal of this association is to create a space for Tokyo Tech alumni to stay connected.
“We hope that after this inauguration, collaborative and impactful cooperation between Tokyo Tech and Kuramae will continue,” he said.
In his speech, followed by a presentation on Tokyo Tech’s academic and research activities, Dr. Masu explained, “We are conducting a roadshow to several campuses in Indonesia regarding the name change of Tokyo Institute of Technology to Institute of Science Tokyo (abbreviated as Science Tokyo).”
The name change is planned to take effect on Oct. 1, 2024. He added that 118 Indonesian students are currently pursuing their studies at Tokyo Tech. These students include 12 undergraduates, 36 master’s students, 62 doctoral students, and eight non-degree students.
Dr. Masu noted that Tokyo Tech has six faculties: science, engineering, materials and chemical technology, computing, life science and technology, and environmental and society. He also mentioned that the number of international students has been increasing yearly.
“We are very open to Indonesian students who want to study at Tokyo Tech. All faculties have already opened classes in English,” he said.
To further appreciate the presence of Indonesian students at Tokyo Tech, since 2010, PPI Tokodai (a group of Indonesian students at Tokyo Tech) has been fully supported in organizing the Tokyo Tech Indonesian Commitment Award (TICA).
TICA is a scientific paper competition for students across Indonesia. In this competition, the top three winners will be invited to the Tokyo Institute of Technology campus in Japan to receive their awards and attend the TICA finale, featuring keynote speakers from Indonesia and abroad sharing experiences and insights in sustainable development.
The continuation of TICA is expected to support the development of research and innovation in Indonesia.
The Chair of Kuramae-Indonesia, Professor Panut Mulyono, revealed that Kuramae was established to unite all Tokyo Institute of Technology alumni in Indonesia.
“In the future, Kuramae-Indonesia will organize activities such as scientific seminars, scholarship fundraising, and acting as a liaison for cooperation between Tokyo Tech and other universities in Indonesia,” Professor Mulyono explained.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Photographer: Donnie