Balikpapan – Yosua Anjupaian Situmeang, a graduate of the Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Technology (FRTI), Institut Teknologi Kalimantan (ITK), completed his academic journey with an impressive achievement. He graduated in eight semesters with a GPA of 3.85 and with honors, while also becoming the highest-GPA graduate in the Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Study Program.

Beyond his academic achievement, Yosua’s university journey was filled with organizational activities, industrial work experience, entrepreneurship, and international research. One of his most memorable experiences was participating in the JST-NEXUS Program at Saga University, Japan, where he was involved in research related to electrochemical sensors.

Yosua’s journey was not always easy. During the Joint Preparation Stage (TPB), the student from North Sumatra initially struggled to adapt to the pace of university study. Instead of letting those challenges hold him back, he used them as motivation to study harder and actively seek learning opportunities beyond the classroom.

Active in Student Organizations and Industry

During his time at ITK, Yosua was active in the Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Student Association. He served as a staff member in the internal affairs division before later being entrusted as Head of the Internal Affairs Division.

His experience expanded through work placements at PT Bayan and Sucofindo. At PT Bayan, Yosua gained practical experience in welding and material inspection methods, while at Sucofindo he learned about coal analysis by applying fundamental knowledge from organic and analytical chemistry courses.

For Yosua, these experiences helped him understand how the concepts learned in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering could be directly applied in real industrial settings.

From P2MW Funding to KMI Expo Finalist

Yosua also explored entrepreneurship beyond his technical field. Together with his team, he received funding through the Program Pembinaan Mahasiswa Wirausaha (P2MW) for a business called Kebone, which developed crackers by utilizing milkfish waste.

The venture later brought his team to become a KMI Expo finalist. For Yosua, this experience taught him to see problems not only from a technical perspective, but also as opportunities to create value-added products.

JST-NEXUS Takes Yosua to Saga University, Japan

One of the key milestones in Yosua’s academic journey came when he had the opportunity to participate in the JST-NEXUS Program at Saga University, Japan.

Through the program, he took part in academic and research activities related to electrochemical sensors. The experience introduced him directly to an international academic environment while broadening his understanding of how research can be developed through collaboration across universities and countries.

Yosua also gained academic experience within the research environment of the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) before expanding his research exposure to Japan.

Now, after completing his studies with a GPA of 3.85 and with honors, Yosua is exploring opportunities to enter the workforce. At the same time, his research experience in Japan has also encouraged him to consider pursuing further study through the MEXT Scholarship.

To ITK students who are still progressing through their studies, Yosua encourages them not to compare their journey with others.

“Everyone has a different path. Some may move ahead earlier, while others may take a little more time. Stay motivated, keep learning, and make the most of every opportunity during university to develop yourself and bring the name of your study program and ITK further.”

Yosua’s journey shows that academic achievement can grow alongside experience in organizations, industry, entrepreneurship, and research. From struggling to adapt during his early university years to developing electrochemical sensor research in Japan, each stage became an important part of preparing him for the next chapter after graduation.