The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Indonesia held the peak of the 60th Dies Natalis celebration right on its anniversary, Monday (21/12/2020) virtually and in person on a limited basis at the Sinarmas Hall, Multidisciplinary Research Laboratory Building, FMIPA UI – PT Pertamina, UI Campus, Depok.

The event was also attended by a number of important figures, namely Dr. Puan Maharani Nakshatra Kusyala Devi, S.I.Kom. (Chairman of the House of Representatives), General TNI (HOR) (Ret.) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, M.P.A. (Coordinator for Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia), and Prof. Bambang Permadi Soemantri Brodjonegoro, S.E., M.U.P., Ph.D. Minister of Research and Technology of Indonesia / Head of the National Innovation Research Agency (BRIN), as well as the Keynote Speaker for the Scientific Oration themed “Scientific Innovation Against COVID-19 and for the Future of Indonesia”.

Dean of FMIPA UI, Dr. Rokhmatuloh, M.Eng. said, “The commemoration of the 60th anniversary of FMIPA UI is a momentum to ignite the spirit of synergy, and optimism of the academic community, and hopes for the future, as well as achievements that have been and are being made to realize the vision of FMIPA UI.”
Moreover, Rokhmatuloh continued, this year the COVID-19 pandemic has become a tough challenge for FMIPA UI to produce and accelerate the best innovations as an effort to help the government in dealing with the outbreak.

Innovations that have been successfully created thanks to the cooperation and collaboration of academics and various supporting parties across scientific fields include Battery-Powered Air Purifying Respirator APD, Portable Disinfectant: 25 NM UV Rays, Online Map of the Distribution of Covid-19 or SiVovid-19, Covid-19 Patient Respiratory Sterilizer.

Prof. Ari Kuncoro, S.E., M.A., Ph.D (UI Chancellor) who also attended the event said that in developing research and innovation, FMIPA UI in the future must emphasize relevance. “This relevance is important when associated with triple helix cooperation. Universities can no longer just do research, make a paper, then publish it in a journal, without being able to show that the research has received funding from industry or the government. That is the downstreaming, relevance, that is meant,” explained Ari.

The importance of cooperation with the triple helix concept in this innovation was also emphasized by Prof. Bambang Permadi Soemantri Brodjonegoro, S.E., M.U.P., Ph.D. (Minister of Research and Technology of Indonesia/Head of the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency) in his speech.

The complexity of human problems, according to Minister Bambang, cannot be solved in just one particular field of science, but must also be able to collaborate with other fields/faculties. “The triple helix is ​​the key to ensuring good communication and interaction between academics and industry, so that research results can be downstreamed, because society needs real output. This is the importance of downstreaming, so that there is relevance to society,” he said.

Different from the previous year’s Dies Natalis celebration, in this year’s celebration, FMIPA UI gave the “Heroes Achievement” award to important figures who were the pioneers of the establishment of FMIPA UI, namely Prof. dr. G. A. Siwabessy, the founder and first Dean (period 1961-1964), and Prof. Dr. Ir. Sumantri Brodjo Negoro, Dean Period 1964-196, both of whom are national heroes. The award was given by officially changing the names of Hall C.101 and Hall B.101, respectively to Hall Siwabessy and Hall Sumantri Brodjo Negoro.

Not only giving awards to its pioneers, on this 60th anniversary FMIPA UI also presented a mini documentary film that raised the historical value of the establishment of FMIPA UI entitled “ANTARA Sebuah Perjalanan, Sebuah Pencarian” which was specifically and first released as an offering on its anniversary. This film is expected to be able to revive the spirit of synergy of all its academicians to jointly bring FMIPA UI to achieve its vision as a leading faculty that is able to play a role at the national and international levels.

At the age of 60, FMIPA UI has achieved several achievements, including in 2020 FMIPA UI has become one of the largest contributors to UI International publications. FMIPA UI has also succeeded in holding international cooperation and collaboration in various fields of research and academics with 32 international and domestic partners. In the field of student affairs, in 2020, the number of achievements of FMIPA UI students in academic and non-academic fields at the national level was 48 achievements and at the international level was 77 achievements.