Bandung – A delegation from the Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (FTMD) at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Pramudita Satria Palar, ST., MT, Ph.D, recently embarked on a business trip to two European countries; France and the Czech Republic, for a period of two weeks (May 29 – June 9, 2023). The purpose of this trip was to expand the global academic partnership network and enhance graduates’ adaptability in facing the rapidly changing world.

The journey began with a visit to ISAE SUPAERO, the world’s first university to offer aerospace engineering programs. FTMD aimed to establish cooperation with this prestigious university, which has a long history and cutting-edge technology in the aerospace field. Toulouse, France, often referred to as the aerospace capital of Europe, was the location of ISAE SUPAERO, where 90% of technical activities in the city are related to aerospace engineering.

Visit to ISAE SUPAERO

During the visit to ISAE SUPAERO, Pramudita Satria Palar, ST., MT, Ph.D, was invited as an Invited Assistant Professor and delivered a guest lecture to professors, researchers, and doctoral students from ONERA (the French aerospace laboratory) and SUPAERO. The guest lecture focused on the development of Explainable Machine Learning technology for aerospace system design.

Guest Lecture at ISAE SUPAERO

Furthermore, the FTMD delegation’s visit to ISAE SUPAERO was a follow-up to previous meetings between the two institutions. In their previous meetings, the FTMD delegation, consisting of Prof. Dr. Ir. Hari Muhammad, Prof. Dr. Ir. Tatacipta Dirgantara, M.T.., Rachman Setiawan, S.T, M.Sc., Ph.D., and Dr. Taufiq Mulyanto, S.T., had discussed cooperation in double-degree programs, student exchange, and staff exchange. Pramudita Satria Palar, ST., MT, Ph.D’s visit also aimed to establish research collaboration related to aircraft design and optimization, aircraft component design, and the development of efficient data-based methods between ITB and ISAE SUPAERO.

Before concluding their visit in Toulouse, the FTMD delegation also took the opportunity to strengthen relationships with FTMD alumni who are currently pursuing master’s degrees and building their careers in France.

Meeting with FTMD Alumni

The journey continued to the Czech Technical University (CTU) in the Czech Republic on June 5, 2023. Pramudita Satria Palar, ST., MT, Ph.D, was invited as an Invited Assistant Professor to deliver a guest lecture at CTU, organized by the Department of Mechanics and Materials. The guest lecture covered the topic of Explainable Machine Learning for auxetic material design.

Furthermore, the visit to CTU also included discussions with one of the FTMD faculty members (Dr. Afdhal) involved in research collaboration between FTMD ITB and CTU. The research focused on the computational design of auxetic materials using data-based methods. Finally, the FTMD delegation was invited to visit the laboratories at CTU.

With this collaboration, FTMD ITB hopes to expand its academic partnership network in France and the Czech Republic, as well as improve the quality of education and research in the fields of mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, and materials engineering. This cooperation is expected to produce graduates who are adaptable and open to global changes while fostering innovation in aerospace technology.