Thursday (10/11/2023) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, FT UGM received a visit from Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) Taiwan. The visit was held in the Red Meeting Room, 3rd Floor, DTSL and received by the Head of the Department, Prof. Teuku Faisal Fathani, accompanied by Ni Nyoman Nepi Marleni, Ph.D., Intan Supraba, Ph.D., Adhin Harum, M.Sc. and M. Fauzi Darmawan, M.Eng. Meanwhile, those from CYCU was attended by Professor You, Sheng-Jie, Professor Wang, Ya-Fen, Professor Jiang, Jheng-Ji.

After the reception event which ended with an exchange of souvenirs, it was continued with a discussion about the purpose of the visit, namely about opportunities for collaboration with DTSL and the promotion of Master’s and Doctoral studies at CYCU. On that occasion, interviews were also held for students who were interested in continuing their studies at Chung Yuan Christian University (CYCU) Taiwan. (Source: DTSL public relations)

Wednesday (25/10/2023) a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Sanyo Construction Service Co., Ltd., Japan and the Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada. The signing was carried out in the 2nd Floor Meeting Room, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, FT UGM. The event was attended by Mr. Mitshuhiro Okamura (President Director), Mr. Yasunobu Kashihara, Rangga Anhar and Ms. Rina Saparina from Sanyo Indonesia, while from the Faculty of Engineering was attended by the Dean of FT UGM, Prof. Selo, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Prof. T. Faisal Fathani, as well as several lecturers including Angga Fajar Setiawan, Ph.D. and Angga Trisna Yudhistira, M.Eng.

The MoU signing ceremony was opened by the Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. In his speech, Prof. T. Faisal Fathani started by introducing everyone who were present from the UGM Faculty of Engineering, and gave a general overview of what would be carried out, namely that the research carried out was about building strengthening technology with additional bracing systems carried out using experimental numerical simulation. The research will be implemented at the DTSL Structure Laboratory and in the future will be widely applied throughout Indonesia.

Prof. Selo, as Dean of FT UGM, also gave a welcoming speech, giving appreciation to Sanyo for this collaboration, because the Faculty of Engineering UGM wants to contribute to the wider community. Prof. Selo provides a comparison between buildings in the past which were stronger than current buildings so it is hoped that research on building strengthening technology will make existing buildings stronger and last longer.

Sanyo Construction Sevice Japan, represented by Mitsuhiro Okamura with translator Ms. Rina expressed her pride in being able to collaborate with the UGM Faculty of Engineering, which is one of the leading universities. It was said that there were many earthquakes in Japan and also in Indonesia, so Sanyo wanted to contribute to reducing the impact of these earthquakes on buildings so that they could minimize or even avoid human casualties. It is hoped that this will result in regulations relating to building strengthening. Okamura also said that signing this MoU was not a goal but a first step instead.

The next event was the signing of the MoU, the Faculty of Engineering was represented by the Dean of FT, Prof. Selo and Sanyo were represented by Representative Director, Mitsuhiro Okamura. The event closed with a discussion session. The direction of this research will be a case study looking for buildings with problems, for example in column/beam/connection elements. Later on, a numerical analysis will be carried out, then reinforcement will be given to these elements and then experiments will be carried out with small scale models. (Source: DTSL public relations)

Ehime University paid a visit to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DTSL) FT UGM on Monday, January 16 2023. This is an annual routine visit that has been carried out since 2016. On this occasion, Prof. Mitsu Okamura, Prof. Hideaki Yasuhara, Prof. Keiyu Kawaai , and Prof. Takahiro Tsubota meets Dr. Andreas Triwiyono and Dr. Sito Ismanti (Head of Study Program and Secretary of Master of Civil Engineering Study Program) to discuss about double degree program.

The event began with speeches from both parties, and continued with presentations on the implementation of the double degree in 2017-2018. After the group photo session, there was a discussion on choosing courses and administration of the double degree implementation. Ehime University and DTSL hope that this double degree program can be implemented immediately and will bring positive benefits to both parties.

Deaths caused by traffic accidents are a global problem, with 1.35 million people died each year as a result of traffic accidents. Traffic accidents are also the eighth leading cause of death for all ages and the leading cause of death in children and adolescents, aged 5 to 29 years. Nearly 50 percent of deaths from traffic accidents occur among vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. More than 90 percent of traffic accidents occur in developing countries which also have a higher death rate from traffic accidents when compared to other developed countries (WHO, 2018).

In Indonesia, the death rate from traffic accidents reached 30,568 in 2017, with a death rate per 100,000 population reaching 12.2. This death rate is lower than the average death rate in Southeast Asia, which is 17.8 per 100,000 population. However, the economic loss due to traffic accidents reaches 4 percent of GDP. For this reason, effective handling of traffic safety, such as road design, traffic engineering and management, technology, education and campaigns, law enforcement, statutory regulations, and others, is needed to reduce the impact of accident problems on social and economic welfare.

Addressing traffic safety problems requires reliable human resources. Master in Tansportation Systems and Engineering (MSTT), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gadjah Mada University, in collaboration with several universities in Europe (Linkoping University, University of Porto, University of Rome Tor Vergata) and Asia (University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, University of Malaya, Malaysia University of Science and Technology, University of Transport and Communication, Nguyen Tat Thanh University) through the Erasmus+ Program is developing higher education capacity (Capacity-Building in the field of Higher Education/E+CBHE) through Modernization, Development and Capacity Building Master Curriculum in Traffic Safety at Asian Universities (Modernisation, Development and Capacity Building of Master Curriculum in Traffic Safety in Asian Universities, ASIASAFE) starting in January 2021. Educational capacity building in higher education is carried out by developing, adapting, and implementing a more modern and advanced master’s program curriculum in the field of road traffic safety in accordance with European Union (EU) traffic safety standards, best practices, and national accreditation.

The Fifth Erasmus+ ASIASAFE Consortium Workshop is part of a series of workshops which are held regularly and in rotation at each member university of the consortium. This fifth workshop was held at the Smart and Green Learning Center (SGLC) Building, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, from 29 to 31 August 2022. The workshop was held as an arena for consortium members to discuss the progress of curriculum development, sharing knowledge (public lectures), grants for learning support equipment, student mobility, summer courses, and various possibilities for developing collaboration. More information in https://asiasafe.info/

Faculty of Engineering, Gadjah Mada University held Superspecialist Master Education Batch III in 2022, for study interest:

1. Liquefaction Natural Disaster Mitigation Techniques (DTSL)
2. Swamp Disaster Management and Mitigation Techniques (DTSL)
3. Deep Groundwater Exploration and Exploitation Engineering (DTGL)

It is a collaboration between Faculty of Engineering UGM with Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR). On August 24, 2022, in the Red Meeting Room, 3rd Floor of DTSL FT UGM, a technical discussion on the implementation and budget plan was held, as well as the signing of a cooperation agreement (PKS) between the two parties. Present at the event, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, UGM, chairperson/secretary of the department, chair/secretary of study programs as well as officials from the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering FT UGM and WIKA WG-KSO held a handover ceremony and the signing of the Minutes of Handover of Laboratory Equipment, which was a WIKA WG-KSO CSR Grant. This event was held on Saturday, February 26, 2022 and was attended by the Commissioner of PT Wijaya Karya (Persero), Prof. Ir. Suryo Hapsoro Tri Utomo, Ph.D., IPU. and Director of QSHE and Marketing of PT WIKA Gedung, Mr. Yulianto, Deputy Dean for Research, Community Service, and Cooperation of FT UGM, Ir. Ali Awaludin, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D., IPM., ASEAN Eng., and the Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, FT UGM, Prof. Ir.T. Faisal Fathani, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., IPU, ASEAN Eng. In addition, the Head of the Sanitary and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Ir. Intan Supraba, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., IPM., ASEAN.Eng. and the Head of the Transportation Laboratory, Prof. Ir. Sigit Priyanto, M.Sc., Ph.D. were also attended the event.

WIKA WG-KSO handed over 5 (five) laboratory equipments, namely Automatic Digital Pneutrometer (Transportation Lab), Colorimeter (Sanitary and Environmental Engineering Lab), Digital Triaxial (Soil Mechanics Lab), Direct Shear Test (Soil Mechanics Lab) , and Tower Workstation (Computing Lab). The five laboratory equipments worth IDR 731,000,000 are expected to support the teaching and learning process at DTSL FT UGM and be able to improve the quality of research for the UGM community.

WIKA WG-KSO’s CSR is a form of real collaboration from academia and industry as a manifestation of Independent Learning on an Independent Campus.

On Friday, January 28, a bridge in the city of Pittsburgh collapsed, injuring 10 people and seven vehicles falling into a valley. The infrastructure condition in the US is getting worse every day, and the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure law that the Biden administration recently passed is still considered insufficient.

The collapse of the bridge in Pittsburgh occurred after an inspection of the bridge was carried out, the last time was in September 2021. As a result, the bridge was judged to be in poor condition.

VOA contacted Ir. Azhar Saputra PhD., senior lecturer at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Gajah Mada University. They questioned why the fact that the bridge was in a poor condition, there was no immediate follow-up by the government? Especially considering this is a quick and visual assessment.

“In a good bridge management system, in that poor condition, there should be followed by a more detailed investigation to ensure whether the status still meets safety standards or not. Actually, from the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) in the United States itself, after a poor condition emerged from the Department of Transportation, it should be continued with a detailed investigation to determine whether this bridge should be closed or not. It seems that this has not been done.” Said Ashar.

This opinion, said Ashar, is strengthened by the information that has circulated so far in the community, in particular the early photos from the NTSB investigation which show extensive and severe rusting of iron. this clearly reduces the capacity of the structural elements of this bridge to bear the load. (Source: https://www.voaindonesia.com/; Ir. Ashar Saputra Ph.D.)

A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Faculty of Engineering UGM and International Consultant Nippon Koei Co., Ltd. (NK) On Thursday (1/24), at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Universitas Gadjah Mada (CEED UGM). This event was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Head of the International Cooperation Unit and Academic Staffs of CEED UGM. Meanwhile from Nippon Koei, Mr. Tomonori Sakashita as Chief Representatives, and several company officials. NK has been more than 60 years in Indonesia, especially in the construction of dams, hydropower and reservoirs. According to Mr. Tomonori Sakashita, the MoU is the first collaboration between NK and University in Indonesia.

The MoU Signing Ceremony was then followed by small group workshop, where Nippon Koei presented about the history of the establishment of the Nippon Koei and their projects in collaboration with several BUMNs in Indonesia. Meanwhile, CEED UGM share the profile and several possible collaborations with Nippon Koei. The list of presenters:
1. Dr. Ali Awaludin (DTSL)
2. Dr. Angga Fajar S. (DTSL)
3. Dr. Kuniaki Miyamoto (Nippon Koei Co.Ltd.)
4. Mr. Tomonori Sakashita (Nippon Koei Co.Ltd.)
5. Dr. Haisheng Jin (Nippon Koei Co.Ltd.)
6. Dr. Yoshihiro Katsuhama (Nippon Koei Co.Ltd.)
7. Mr. Andi Sambudi (PT Indokoei Internasional)

NK was founded in June 1946 by Yutaka Kubota. It is one of the consulting services company in engineering field, which has business experience for 72 years and operates in 160 countries. Every year NK also records 5,500 projects. NK is supported by 1,534 professional engineers who are certified, with various fields of expertise.