A lecturer at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) in Bandung, Eka\nCahya Prima, aged 35, became the youngest professor during the\ninauguration ceremony for 14 professors at his campus on 7-8 May 2026.\n\u201cBased on the database, I am the youngest professor in the field of\nphysics in Indonesia,\u201d said the man born in Sumedang on 26 June 1990 in\na statement on Thursday, 7 May 2026.<\/p>\n
The decree appointing him as a professor was obtained from the\nMinistry of Higher Education, Research, and Technology on 1 December\n2026.<\/p>\n
In his inaugural speech titled \u201cInnovation in Solar Cell Materials\nthrough Theoretical Approaches and Spectroscopy,\u201d Eka outlined the\nurgency of developing renewable energy amid rising global energy needs\nand the threat of climate change.<\/p>\n
He explained how research on third-generation solar cells such as\nDye-Sensitized Solar Cell (DSSC), Perovskite, and kesterite CZTS can\nserve as future energy solutions that are more environmentally friendly\nand affordable. \u201cMy research is also about solar energy materials,\u201d he\nstated.<\/p>\n
Eka completed his Bachelor\u2019s degree at UPI in 2011, then pursued a\nMaster\u2019s at Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) until graduating in 2013.\nHe obtained his Doctoral degree from ITB in 2017. In the field of\nmaterials physics, Eka is a pioneer in integrating theoretical methods\nlike Density Functional Theory (DFT) and spectroscopy to engineer future\nenergy materials.<\/p>\n
His monumental contribution is the development of CZTS (Kesterite)\nsolar cells based on local materials, which successfully achieved an\nefficiency of 7.5 percent. This achievement is considered significant\nfor thin-film solar cell technology with non-vacuum fabrication.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Eka has explored Indonesia\u2019s natural potential through\ninnovations in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) utilising anthocyanin\nand chlorophyll pigments, as well as engineering Perovskite solar cells,\nwhich are now a global energy technology trend.<\/p>\n
To date, the father of two children has published more than 70\nscientific articles in reputable international journals, with an h-index\nof 13 on Scopus and 23 on Google Scholar. At the campus, Eka initiated\nthe Solar Energy Material Laboratory and developed STEM-Design Thinking\nmodules.<\/p>\n
Eka also holds dozens of Intellectual Property Rights in the form of\ndigital learning media and science experiment tools based on technology.\nThe awards he has received include the Outstanding Lecturer Award in\n2018, Academic Leader Lecturer (2023), and the Satya Dedication Work\nAward (2024).<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/upi-lecturer-eka-cahya-prima-becomes-youngest-physics-professor-1778303020", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }