ocean engineering

Three universities from three different countries, namely Hasanuddin University (Unhas) Indonesia, Bina Nusantara University (Binus) Indonesia, and Murdoch University Australia, have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to collaborate on research in the ocean field. The LoI was signed on June 19, 2023, at the Department of Ocean Engineering Unhas, Gowa, South Sulawesi.

The event was attended by representatives from the three universities, namely Dr. Ir. Chairul Paotonan, ST., MT. (Head of the Department of Ocean Engineering Unhas), Dr. Ir. Oki Setyandito, ST., M.Eng (Head of the Department of Civil Engineering Binus) and Ass. Prof. Martin Anda (Academic Chair of the Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering Murdoch). In addition, several lecturers from the Department of Ocean Engineering Unhas were also present, such as Prof. Daeng Paroka, ST., MT., Ph.D., Dr. Ir. Taufiqur Rachman, ST., MT., Dr.Eng. Firman Husain, ST., MT., Dr.Eng. Muhammad Zumair Muis Alie, ST., MT, and Ashury, ST., MT.

Before signing the LoI, each representative presented a brief profile of the university and department they represented. After that, they exchanged souvenirs and visited the Ocean Engineering Laboratory Unhas.

The purpose of this LoI is to establish understanding and cooperation in terms of research and publication, and further study of lecturers and students at Murdoch University. In addition, this LoI will also be the basis for making a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the three universities.

One of the research topics that will be collaborated on is the development of polymer materials for ocean infrastructure with a zero-carbon concept. This polymer material will be tested for its performance as a breakwater or wave breaker at the Ocean Engineering Laboratory Unhas. Meanwhile, the durability and technical properties of the material will be tested in other laboratories at Unhas, such as the Civil Engineering Structure Laboratory and the Mechanical Engineering Material Laboratory. The results of this research will be produced on a large scale in the Bantaeng Industrial Area (KIBA) in South Sulawesi.

The plan is that the MoU between the three universities will be signed in mid-July 2023. Unhas will be represented by the Vice-Rector for Partnership, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Business Prof. Dr.Eng. Adi Maulana, ST., M.Phil.

The Department of Ocean Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering at Hasanuddin University (Unhas) has successfully obtained accreditation from the Indonesian Accreditation Board for Engineering Education (IABEE). This accreditation is an international recognition of the quality of ocean engineering education at Unhas.

The Head of the Department of Ocean Engineering of the Faculty of Engineering at Unhas, Dr. Chairul Paotonang, stated that this IABEE accreditation was one of the targets that had been set since 2020. He hoped that with this accreditation, the Department of Ocean Engineering at Unhas could become a center for ocean engineering education in eastern Indonesia.

“We are very grateful and proud of this achievement. This is the result of hard work from all academic members of the Department of Ocean Engineering at Unhas, including students, lecturers, staff, and alumni. We are committed to continuously improving the quality of education and research in the field of ocean engineering,” said Dr. Chairul.

This IABEE accreditation was obtained after going through a long and rigorous assessment process. The assessment process included registration, submission of self-evaluation reports, review and feedback from study programs in several rounds, visitation, first evaluation, and determination of assessment results.

Some of the aspects assessed by IABEE include the design and achievement of the graduate profile outcomes, including meeting the Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLO), the design and implementation of a curriculum that can meet the GLO, student conditions, lecturer qualifications, support from facilities and university leaders in the learning process, and the process of quality evaluation and continuous improvement.

With this IABEE accreditation, the Department of Ocean Engineering at Unhas became one of three ocean engineering study programs in Indonesia that have been internationally accredited. The three study programs are the Ocean Engineering Study Program at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS), and Unhas.

This IABEE accreditation also means that graduates of the Department of Ocean Engineering at Unhas have a quality standard that is internationally recognized. Graduates of the Department of Ocean Engineering at Unhas can compete with graduates of ocean engineering study programs from other universities that are accredited by IABEE under the Washington Accord.

The Washington Accord is a cooperation agreement between engineering education accreditation bodies from various countries to mutually recognize the accreditation results of engineering study programs in their member countries. Some of the member countries of the Washington Accord include the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia.