Massey alumni appointed as head of Indonesian university

The appointment is for a four-year term, and is decided through a vote by the university senate and the Indonesian Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education. The inauguration event took place in Jakarta in March.

Dr Kusumo says his experience at Massey helped to develop the way he thinks, behaves, and works. “I learnt a lot about many things, not only in the science realm, but also about New Zealand’s culture.” He credits Professors Mike Hedley and Chris Anderson as being instrumental to his success.

Following his time in New Zealand, Dr Kusumo continued to do research in Indonesia related to the application of infrared technology, which he had learnt about at Massey. “I then published some papers in international journals, which made me eligible to become a professor. I started my career in a laboratory, then I was appointed as the Vice Director of Postgraduate Programs at the University of Mataram, by the then-rector. With my overseas experience and Vice Director role under my belt, I ran for the role of Rector, which I won.”

As Rector, Dr Kusumo says he is committed to leading the university to achieve its vision to be an internationally competitive university by 2025. To achieve the vision, Dr Kusumo hopes to improve the university’s performance in teaching, research, and community development. He says one of the most important roles of the Rector is to boost the university’s international collaborations with world class universities around the world.

Professor Chris Anderson from the School of Agriculture and Environment says the role of rector is an important position in the Indonesian tertiary education system for a Massey graduate. “It’s a great indication of how the skills and capability we create can be deployed.”

He adds that there is a strong record of collaboration between Massey and the University of Mataram. “Mataram was our in-country partner for Innovative Farm Systems and Capability for Agribusiness (IFSCA), a five-year Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade agricultural programme Massey led that ended last year.”

Dr Kusumo says he wants the collaboration with Massey to be one of the largest international partnerships that Mataram has. “I want to strengthen the collaboration that we have built between Massey and Mataram related to joint teaching, research, conference, and possibly a joint degree and double degree program.”

Professor Mike Hedley from the School of Agriculture and Environment says Bambang was one of the hardest working PhD students the Soil Science Department hosted. “His PhD study pushed the boundaries of soil science, researching how to use spectral reflectance from soil cores to predict soil carbon, soil nitrogen, and root density in the field. These measurements are critical in determining the potential of soil plant systems to build soil carbon and decrease atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations as a mitigation against climate warming.”

Dr Kusumo was supervised by Mike Tuohy, Carolyn Hedley and Mike Hedley. Professor Hedley says all three supervisors are pleased to congratulate him on his newly elected position. “The position will allow Bambang to facilitate other young Indonesian scholars to push the boundaries of science to solve Indonesian and global environmental problems.”