Yohanes Surya: A physicist with many dreams

Yohanes Surya: A physicist with many dreams

T Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta

A good physicist, he had a good job at the U.S. Nuclear
Physics Center in Virginia; he had even obtained a green card
from the government. But Yohanes Surya decided to leave the
country and return to Jakarta as he was determined to contribute
to the development of physics in Indonesia through education.

"Indonesia has so many clever people. Unfortunately, (their
potential) has not been developed," he said.

So, he went home in 1994 and worked hard to train talented
children who would join the International Physics Olympiad. And
he achieved what he had set out to do as Indonesia has won many
gold medals in the event which involves more than 100 countries
all over the world.
Yohanes, president of the Indonesian Physics Olympiad Team
(TOFI), was born in Jakarta on Nov. 6, 1963. The seventh of nine
children, he has five sisters and three brothers. His father was
a retired soldier while his mother used to sell traditional
cookies.

"My parents could feed us, but they could not afford to send
us to university," said Yohanes, who often helped his mother make
cookies.

After Yohanes graduated from high school, his elder siblings
who were working chipped in to support his education at the
physics department at the School of Mathematics and Natural
Sciences, University of Indonesia. He graduated in 1986 and went
to the College of William and Mary, Virginia in the United
States. He obtained his master's degree in 1990 and four years
later he got his doctorate, both with highest honors.

When he heard in 1992 that the college was organizing an
international physics Olympiad, he contacted his friends at the
University of Indonesia and later trained five students who were
selected to join the competition that took place the following
year. Indonesia garnered one bronze medal and an honorable
mention.

Indonesia's performance in the competition continues to
improve. The Indonesian team grabbed three gold medals, one
silver medal and one bronze medal in the 33rd International
Physics Olympiad in Bali in 2002. In the fourth Asian Physics
Olympiad 2003 in Bangkok, the team won six medals and two
honorable mentions. Last year Indonesia won two gold medals and
three bronze medals at the International Physics Olympiad in
Spain.

"I am happy, but I have another dream. I want Indonesia to
become the world champion," said Yohanes, who has another dream:
to see an Indonesian win the Nobel prize in 2020.

Yohanes, who was a lecturer and a researcher for nuclear
physics at the post-graduate program of the University of
Indonesia (1995-1998), was installed as professor of physics at
the School of Science and Mathematics of Pelita Harapan
University in Karawaci, Tangerang in 2004. He currently heads the
Nanotechnology and Bioengineering Center at the Mochtar Riyadi
Center in Lippo Karawaci.

He has written 68 books, including Fisika itu Asyik (Physics
is Fun) and last year he helped publish Kuark, a monthly science
comic magazine that currently sells 60,000 copies. He is also a
consultant for National Geographic Indonesia.

A workaholic, Yohanes usually sleeps between three and four
hours a day. In order to maintain his health, he drinks a glass
of juice made from four apples and a glass of milk and eats bread
in the morning. For lunch, he eats food, which has a high protein
content and lots of vegetables.

"I seldom eat in the evening, except if there is an event
where the dinner is served," he said.

Yohanes is married with three daughters.

The interview with The Jakarta Post took place at his office
in Karawaci on Thursday amid his tight schedule, especially
because he had been invited to speak, alongside Noble laureate
Douglas Osheroff, at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences on
Friday.
Question: When did you start to become interested in physics and
why?
Answer: Since I was in high school. My teacher gave the lesson so
cleverly that it made physics an interesting subject.
What makes it so interesting?

Physics can explain many mysteries of nature. For example,
the rainbow or the black cloud. Why is the cloud black if it is
going to rain? It contains a large amount of water drops; they
absorb the light but only a little of the light is reflected,
therefore the color becomes dark.

Physics also trains our logic and encourages us to make
innovations.

Physics should be explained in a simple way. If you really
have the knowledge, if you know the concept, you will be able to
explain it in a simple way. But if you don't understand the
concept, you might make the students confused.
How did you find the students to take part in the physics
Olympiad and how do you train them?

At the beginning they are selected by the Ministry of National
Education. They have to pass the test at the regency and then
provincial level. From there we choose 30 students. And then we
select eight students to compete in the Asian Physics Olympiad.
And finally five students are selected for the international
Physics Olympiad.

My eldest daughter, who is in senior high school, is among the
30 students who have been selected to join the competition. Last
year she also joined the training center and became one of the
big 15. But she could not beat the other participants. I don't
know how far she will be able to go this time. If she fails, it
is OK. That means that there are other students who can do better
than her.
How long does the training last?

Thirty students are currently undergoing one month's training.
And then, from December to April, we will train eight students
who will join the Asian Olympiad. The five students who will be
sent to the international Olympiad have to join the training
until July 2006.
How many hours do the students have to study?

They study from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. But there are students
who study until 1 a.m. or 2 a.m.
Why do they need to study that long? Isn't that too much?

They are smart and there are so many materials to study. We
give them materials which are studied by undergraduate and
graduate university students. They have an incredible ability and
the more you sharpen your brain, the better it is. From what I
have learned people on average only use 2 percent of their brain.
Einstein used only between 6 percent and 8 percent of his brain.
In the international Olympiad, Indonesia is now included in the
big five and you have the ambition to make Indonesia number one.
How are you going to make this happen?

To become number one, there are several steps to take: First,
we search for talented students, starting from the junior high
school, and then we train them gradually and intensively.
Another way is by opening a super class throughout the country.
The students of this class are talented children who are really
screened. Jakarta has opened such a super class. It is expected
that if everything runs smoothly, in 2007, God's willing,
Indonesia will become the world champion.
You also have the hope that an Indonesian will win a Nobel prize
in 2020. What makes you optimistic?

Now we send many students to study abroad (in prestigious
universities) and many of them are students of Nobel laureates.
That's why I am optimistic. What's more, we have opened a super
class. Next year we will open several other super classes. I have
a target to open 10 super classes with some 200 students. They
will be sent to study overseas under a scholarship program and
are expected to become students of Nobel laureates.
Indonesia has had good results in the International Physics
Olympiad. What does it mean to you? And what's the benefit for
Indonesia?

I am thankful because my efforts of almost 12 years have
finally resulted in sweet fruit for Indonesia. With this
achievement, Indonesia will be more confident as a nation. And I
am happy to know that now there is science fever throughout the
country. If physics and other basic sciences become favorite
subjects in Indonesia, this will become a good capital for the
development of science and technology.
Indonesia has many talented people. But why do we still lag
behind many other countries?

Indonesia has so many talented people. Unfortunately, their
potential skills have not been honed. I am sure that every island
has smart students. As we know, two students from Papua became
world champions (they won the first step to the Nobel Prize award
in 2004). Generally speaking, Indonesia is behind other countries
because of the teaching method, which is still far from ideal. We
hope that in the future teachers can be trained to teach natural
sciences and mathematics in a fun, easy way so that our students
become smarter and smarter.
What's your philosophy of life?

I want my life to bring advantages to other people. Life is
just temporary. How beautiful it will be if we can help many
people. It will be better if we can help develop the nation so
that our nation gains more respect in the world.
What makes you happy?

What makes me happy is when we can help people who are in need
of help. I am also happy to see Indonesian children become
successful, winning gold medals in the world physics Olympiad.
That's beautiful happiness.
What makes you sad?

If people misread what we do.
Could you elaborate?

For example, because some students selected to join the
international physic Olympiad were from private schools, I was
asked why I didn't pay attention to state schools. That also
happened when the students were of the minority (ethnic group).
Is that because you are Christian and of Chinese descent?

Well, it is also because of that. And that makes me very sad.
I had worked in America and obtained a green card but I decided
to go home. I am really sad if people misjudge me. Why don't we
just build (the nation) together.
Do you regret your decision to return home?

No. I am also happy because there are more people who support
me.
What are your hobbies?

I like reading and teaching. I read books on popular physics,
popular sciences. But recently I have been reading books on
economics, history and philosophy.
How many books have you written? And what has been the market
reaction?

I have written 68 books, but many of them have not been
published. The market reaction is quite good. If I am not
mistaken, from 1986 to 1994 almost all high school students in
Indonesia used my physics books. Now I am concentrating on
writing books on natural sciences and mathematics for elementary
school and junior high school.
You also publish a magazine. Could you tell us about it?

The magazine, Kuark, is published to make students love
natural sciences and to use while studying natural sciences. We
also try to make students enjoy natural sciences through
animation. With this magazine, we hope that students will become
more acquainted with natural sciences and love the sciences more.
What does kuark mean?

We used to believe that the smallest particle is an atom. But
actually inside the atom, there is the core of atom and inside
the core of atom, there is kuark. So, it is the smallest
particle.
What are your activities now?

I am building a training center for teachers and an Olympiad
training center, which I call the International Center for
Physics Olympiad. In this center we will train many teachers
about how to teach natural sciences/physics and mathematics in a
fun way. We are still looking for sponsors for this.

I am also developing nanotechnology and I am still training
the Olympiad team at the junior high school and senior high
school level.
Once you said that using nanotechnology (a technology to
manipulate an atom or molecule to produce a new product) you
could change coal into gold.

It might be a dream. But it does not mean that it is
impossible. It is just a matter of time. Technology develops
fast. Maybe in 50 years or 100 years we will be able to do so.