A lecturer from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FMIPA UGM), Professor Wega Trisunaryanti, has received the prestigious University of Osaka Global Alumni Fellow award.
This award is given as a form of recognition for Professor Trisunaryanti’s dedication to the field of research and scientific publications.
The award was directly presented by the Executive Vice President of The University of Osaka, Professor Hayashi Mikako, in a ceremony held on Tuesday (Jun. 10) in Osaka, Japan.
Several prominent academics attended the event, including Professor Masakatsu Nomura, Professor Masahiro Miura, Professor Tetsuya Satoh, Professor Hidehiro Sakurai, and Dr. Koh Kidena.
In her speech, Professor Hayashi stated that this award is rarely given to women, making the recognition of Professor Trisunaryanti an extraordinary achievement.
Professor Trisunaryanti began her academic journey in Osaka in 1992 as a research student in the Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, the University of Osaka.
She then continued her doctoral studies from 1993 to 1997 under the guidance of Professor Nomura as promoter and Professor Miura as co-promoter, followed by a postdoctoral program until late 1997.
Since then, Professor Trisunaryanti has consistently fostered scientific cooperation with the university through joint research and international academic forums.
“This collaboration continues because I maintain contact with former promoter professors through projects in both Indonesia and Japan. We involve each other in international-scale research,” Professor Trisunaryanti said on Thursday (Jun. 12).
She added, “This contact has never been broken because we truly need foreign collaborators whom we know and trust.”
Her research focus includes the development of catalysts, nanosilica, zeolites, and Graphene Oxide for various applications, especially the hydrotreating process of biomass into biofuel.
Currently, she is focusing on the synthesis of heterogeneous catalysts to convert vegetable oil into bio-jet fuel or Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
According to Professor Trisunaryanti, this research is significant for the future of global energy.
“Energy from fossil fuels is dwindling and causes pollution. We are moving towards zero carbon, and bio-jet fuel sourced from plants is a green and sustainable alternative,” Professor Trisunaryanti explained.
However, Professor Trisunaryanti also highlighted a major obstacle in the development of this research: limited funding.
She explained that bio-jet fuel technology not only requires scientific expertise but also infrastructure support and collaboration with industry, especially the energy sector.
Unfortunately, not many domestic investors see the economic potential of this renewable fuel.
“We are still at a laboratory scale, whereas for a pilot scale, billions of rupiah are needed. Without investor partners, bio-jet fuel research will stop at the lab only,” Professor Trisunaryanti added.
Amidst these challenges, Professor Trisunaryanti continues to contribute to the world of science.
To date, she has published 153 scientific articles in reputable international journals, garnering a total of 1,273 citations across 748 documents, and has a Scopus h-index of 19.
She also holds 108 intellectual properties, 20 of which are certified, and has written 10 reference books and five book chapters.
Besides academic activities, she is active in 32 community service activities and serves as a national-level academic position assessor for lecturers.
She is also a reviewer for various research programs.
The award she received in Osaka is one of many achievements that solidify her position as an outstanding scientist.
Professor Trisunaryanti previously received several awards, including Best Lecturer and Researcher of FMIPA UGM (2022) and Best Publication at UGM (2022).
She also received the Highest SINTA Ranking at UGM (2022), was listed among the top 2% of world scientists according to Stanford University (2023), and received the UGM Award for Tri-darma (2023).
Finally, she was recognized as the UGM Outstanding Individual for Best Research (2024).
As a woman in the still male-dominated world of science, Professor Trisunaryanti also made important notes regarding the importance of equal access and support.
She believes that although the number of women scientists is still imbalanced, their role is now gaining a better place, including in developed countries.
According to Professor Trisunaryanti, women should be given more expansive space because they play dual roles, both in professional and domestic spheres.
“Have dreams. Don’t be afraid to compete. The world of science not only needs intelligence, but also patience, meticulousness, and sensitivity to see new things that have not received much attention,” she said.
Professor Trisunaryanti believes UGM’s support is critical in backing her research and international collaboration.
She mentioned that the incentives provided by the university for lecturers with international publications have been a motivator to continue being productive.
According to Professor Trisunaryanti, academic productivity should receive proportional appreciation so that researchers are encouraged to produce more quality work.
She also underscored the need for a more adaptive funding system to the reality of active researchers.
Thus, UGM can continue to foster a strong and globally competitive research ecosystem.
“UGM provides many incentives, but the hope is that they can be more flexible and not limited by quotas,” she said.
“We can utilize natural wealth such as nyamplung and malapari oil to support energy independence,” Professor Trisunaryanti hoped for renewable energy research.
According to Professor Trisunaryanti, these two plants grow abundantly in various regions of Indonesia and do not compete with food needs, making them ideal raw materials for biofuel.
Research on aviation fuels like Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is considered very strategic. This is given the high economic value and global need for environmentally friendly fuels.
She targets SAF’s contribution to aviation fuel blends to increase significantly from 2.4% currently to 50% in the future. This will be a big step towards a greener and more sustainable energy transition.
Professor Trisunaryanti acknowledged that the award she received in Osaka further motivates her to continue providing benefits.
She believes that the world of research always presents new challenges that enrich experience and deepen understanding.
For Professor Trisunaryanti, creating is part of a life’s calling, inseparable from dedication to science and society.
As long as she remains capable of thinking and acting, she is committed to continually contributing through research, innovation, and mentoring the younger generation.
“I want to do something beneficial, not just for myself, but also for others,” Professor Trisunaryanti concluded.
Author: Triya Andriyani
Post-editor: Afifudin Baliya
Photographs: Professor Wega Trisunaryanti