ITB Students Complete Exchange Programme at Central South University

Two students from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Thaufik Widjaya and Mochammad Zakky Rayhan Zahrandany, completed a five-month exchange programme and presented their research results at the School of Metallurgy and Environment, Central South University (CSU), China’s top metallurgy campus, on Friday (24/7). The final session was attended by Qin Yihong, Head of the Undergraduate Education Supervision Committee Development Group at CSU; Wang Qinmeng, Vice Dean of the School of Metallurgy and Environment; He Jiamin from the Academic Affairs Office; and representatives of lecturers and students from the Heavy Metallurgy Research Institute. Imam Santoso from ITB, along with nine Indonesian students, also attended as invited delegates. The activity was supported by the International College of CSU and led by Assoc. Prof. Xia Longgong. Imam Santoso, the supervising lecturer for the two students, expressed his appreciation to CSU, the School of Metallurgy and Environment, and the Complex Materials Metallurgy and Slag Chemistry (CMSC) research group for their academic guidance and comprehensive support throughout the programme. ‘This experience not only strengthened the students’ research capabilities and resulted in final assignments and collaborative research achievements, but also fostered independence, global insight, and cross-cultural cooperation skills,’ he stated. Imam expressed hope that the achievements of this first cohort would serve as a foundation for a stable and mutually beneficial ongoing undergraduate student exchange programme. Wang Qinmeng noted that technological development and industrial transformation are opening wider opportunities for international cooperation. ITB and CSU have significant potential to strengthen synergy in education, scientific innovation, and talent development in the field of metallurgical engineering. The collaboration between ITB and CSU has been ongoing for eight years and has yielded various achievements. The two universities, together with GEM Group, established a joint research and development centre in hydrometallurgy and new energy materials. CSU has also educated more than 100 Indonesian master’s and doctoral students in metallurgical engineering. Wang Qinmeng stated that this undergraduate exchange programme is an important step to expand the cooperation to the undergraduate level sustainably. The two students presented their academic research and responded to questions from the expert panel. Thaufik Widjaya presented research titled ‘Fundamental and Technological Research on Self-Promoted Desulfurization of Complex Lead Sulfate-Calcium Sulfate Materials at 750 °C under Air Atmosphere’. Mochammad Zakky Rayhan Zahrandany presented research titled ‘Fundamental Research on a Novel Pyrometallurgical Process for Complex Tin-Lead Secondary Materials: A Strategy of Stepwise Fluxing and Gradual Reduction’. Qin Yihong assessed that the programme demonstrates the strategic value of the ITB-CSU collaboration by combining academic excellence, research platforms, and talent development resources. He expressed hope that the cooperation would continue to expand through student mobility, lecturer exchanges, joint research, and the development of young talent in the field of metallurgy.