The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FMIPA UI), welcomed a delegation from National Taiwan University (NTU) in an event titled “NTU x UI: Collaboration Proposal”, held at the Department of Mathematics, FMIPA UI, Depok, on Tuesday (August 26, 2025). The meeting was part of FMIPA UI’s internationalization strategy while also promoting the NTU Centennial Fellowship program to the UI academic community.
The NTU delegation was led by Dr. Tung-Yu Wu (Department of Civil Engineering), Dr. Kwok-Wing Tsoi (Department of Mathematics), along with Melissa Kuo and Inés Hung from the NTU Office of International Affairs. They were also accompanied by UI alumnus So Yuan, a recipient of the Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards (IISMA) scholarship, who is currently pursuing studies at NTU.
The event began with an opening remark by the Head of the Department of Mathematics, FMIPA UI, Prof. Alhadi Bustamam, Ph.D., who expressed his hope that this meeting would serve as an initial step toward research collaboration between the two institutions, particularly in the field of mathematics and its applications.
“We hope that in the future a research collaboration can be established between the NTU and UI Departments of Mathematics, including in the fields of cryptography, applied mathematics, and information technology,” said Prof. Alhadi.
In his remarks, FMIPA UI’s Manager for Internationalization and Global Ranking, Munawar Khalil, Ph.D., stated that FMIPA UI is currently designing a Special International Class (KKI) program and a double degree (2+2) scheme, which are open for collaboration with overseas partner universities, including NTU.
“We hope that NTU can become one of our strategic partners in developing international programs such as KKI and student exchanges,” said Khalil.
NTU representative Dr. Kwok-Wing Tsoi welcomed the collaboration initiative and emphasized the importance of building a sustainable institutional relationship between the two campuses.
After the opening session, Dr. Tsoi delivered a short lecture titled “Elliptic Curves: The Curve That Solved Fermat and Secures Your Bitcoin.” In his presentation, he explained the crucial role of elliptic curves in the proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem, as well as their application in modern cryptographic technology, including Bitcoin security systems.
The activity continued with a campus introduction session by Melissa Kuo and Inés Hung from NTU. They presented various scholarship programs, research facilities, and further study opportunities for international students. UI alumnus So Yuan also shared his experiences participating in the IISMA program and studying at NTU.
The session concluded with an interactive discussion and Q&A between UI students and the NTU delegation. Discussion topics included opportunities for further studies, academic collaboration, and international experiences relevant to students.
This visit marks a concrete step by FMIPA UI in expanding its global network and supporting students and faculty to actively engage in the international education ecosystem. Moving forward, the collaboration initiated with NTU is expected to include student exchanges, joint research, and the development of double degree programs and scholarships.
