Bandung Institute of Technology (Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB)) has been a pioneering Indonesia’s higher education institution in engineering since 1920. With the continuous development of numerous researches on science, technology, art, design, and management, ITB also has been the main reference for Del Foundation to develop academic programs in a remote area around Lake Toba. Since 2000, this cooperation resulted in the design of master plan on the strategic development of higher education. In the following year, Del Foundation established Del Polytechnic of Informatics (Politeknik Informatika Del) in 2001. Informatics Engineering was selected as the central field of education because this field has been known to empower society through economy, social and government sectors.
As to meet the needs of knowledge in bio technology and engineering management, Del Polytechnic of Informatics transformed into Del Institute of Technology (Institut Teknologi Del (IT Del)) in 2013. Now, IT Del has three main faculties, they are Faculty of Informatics and Engineering, Faculty of Bio Technology, and Faculty of Industrial Engineering. After the five-year transformation, first batch of undergraduate programs was graduated during the ceremony on September 9th, 2018. More than 1.100 IT Del graduates are now working in numerous multinational, private and state-owned companies.
After more than 18 years of collaboration, Del Foundation has become aware of the necessity to renew the memorandum of understanding. During the official visit to ITB on Tuesday, January 15th, 2019, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Rector of ITB, Prof. Kadarsah Suryadi and Del Foundation Founder General (Ret.) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. The MoU listed the strategic cooperation between ITB and IT Del for development of both institutions and human resources also partnering in research and community work. Del Foundation was led by Ir. Patuan Simatupang, MCRP accompanied by Rector of IT Del Prof. Togar Simatupang, Chair of Academic Senate of IT Del, Prof. Roberd Saragih, Prof. Saswinadi Sasmojo, Dr. Mervin Hutabarat, and Fitriani Silalahi, M.Si.
In his remark, Mr. Patuan explained “Historically, IT Del’s mission is to provide a quality higher education in a remote area that is affordable, with one noble aim that is to develop its region, Toba. Rector of ITB warmly welcomed IT Del team and thanked the institution for choosing ITB as the partner and stated ITB’s readiness in developing stronger cooperation with IT Del. According to Rector of ITB, “The development of digital era has changed the ways of delivering the lectures, such as the distance learning. This will definitely make more and more opportunities for collaboration to solve various problems in society. IT Del has contributed to prolong the education service to areas where ITB is unlikely to present. “The cooperation between ITB and IT Del has created academic friendly environment for the students with the presence and accompaniment of ITB lecturers at IT Del along with the joint research between ITB and IT Del lecturers,” continued by the Rector of ITB.
Prof. Saswinadi added the philosophy of IT Del has been always to make good use of technology in society through education, development and application of science. The first is by becoming the enabler in the field of informatics engineering, and further IT Del added two fields. One was the object that characterizes Indonesia’s nature through the bioprocess, and the other field related to the process of replicating the technology application through engineering management. Prof. Saswinani said, “Just like the position of ITB serving as the center of knowledge development in Indonesia, IT Del has been expected to have an icon in informatics which can open opportunities to have a joint production that can increase added values to product”
At the end of their visit, the Chair of Del Foundation handed a placard (plakat) and contemporary Bataknese cloth, as a token of appreciation to the Rector of ITB. The cloth (ulos) was manufactured by Digital Tenun Nusantara, a business unit managed by IT Del. It is hoped that the cooperation between ITB and IT Del continues to take place through various Tridharma activities of the higher education dedicated for the prosperity of country.
