Bandung – Tuesday, 6 September 2022 the Faculty of Engineering Universitas Andalas (FE-UNAND), Padang, West Sumatera visited Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (FMAE) ITB. Their visit was intended to get information about financial governance in FMAE ITB. Not only FMAE ITB, but they also visited other faculties and schools at ITB, such as the Faculty of Industrial Technology (FIT), the School of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (STEI), the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering (FTSL), and the School of Architecture, Planning and Policy Development (SAPPK). 

In 2021, Universitas Andalas officially changed into PTN-BH (State-Owned University with Legal Entity) status. It became the main reason for their visit to FMAE ITB. The meeting of these two universities discussed how FMAE ITB has the flexibility to organize and manage its finances. FMAE ITB shared the experience regarding the transition and transformation that ITB did after becoming a PTN-BH in 2013 and FMAE itself, which has separated from FIT ITB since 2007. FTMD ITB also highlighted that being a PTN-BH, an independent faculty with autonomous rights and more significant funds to manage the needs to support teaching and learning activities efficiently. 

There are some governance differences found between FE-UNAND and FMAE ITB. FT-UNAND organizes several departments, and then each department is divided into several program studies. It affects the allocation of funds. Unlike FT-UNAND, FMAE ITB is directly divided into study programs and research groups. Thus, the faculty can be quite large and flexible in managing the allocation of funds. 

From this meeting, FE-UNAND is expected to be able to make adjustments and find its format regarding financial governance and other formations. 

Another thing that was discussed was the success of three out of five first students of FE-UNAND who had studied in their 3rd and 4th grade of university at Mechanical Engineering ITB in 1985s, currently being professors. They also remembered how ITB had guided UNAND in establishing the Mechanical Engineering department some time ago. 

At the end of the meeting, FMAE ITB and FE-UNAND invited each other for further conferences and visits. FMAE ITB is very welcome for FE-UNAND to come back. Both universities hope that in the future, there will be a collaboration between FMAE ITB and FE-UNAND. Before separating, FMAE ITB gave merchandise to FE-UNAND and took group photos.