MAY ON TJIA

Pak Tjia, as his students used to call him intimately, was born on December 25, 1934 in Probolinggo, Indonesia and passed away on Nov 5, 2019. He was a Physics Professor at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), the initiator of the main conference in the field of modern optics in Indonesia: the International Symposium on Modern Optics and Its Applications (ISMOA) series, the co-founder of the Indonesian Optical Society (InOS), and Chairman of InOS between 2011-2013. Together with several colleagues, he also co-founded the Postgraduate Program in Optoelectronics and Laser Applications at the University of Indonesia in 1976. He was also a co-founder of the Physical Society of Indonesia in 1973. He was a research fellow of International Centre of Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in 1974 and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) in 1980. He was also an editorial board member of the Journal of Nonlinear Optical Physics and Materials since 2004 until he passed away.

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He was a person who was simple, full of dedication and idealism, and very consistent in advancing science in Indonesia. From his fatherly hands, born many Indonesian young scientists who were inspired to continue his idealism.

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Pak Tjia completed his Bachelor of Physics from ITB in 1962, and continued to Northwestern University, United States where he received his Ph.D. in 1969 in the field of particle physics. Gradually, his research interests shifted to modern optics, laser spectroscopy, conjugated polymers, and superconductorsthat he worked on productively until the end of his life. Scopus’ records show that Pak Tjia has filed 158 publications in international journals, with 722 citations, and in collaboration with 157 co-authors which produced an h-index of 21. Pak Tjia had never retired from contributing to science. After his retirement as a professor from ITB in 2005, he still actively involved in supervision of students in ITB Research Division of Physics of Magnetism and Photonics, and also involved in research on laser induced breakdown spectroscopy at Maju Makmur Mandiri Research Center, Jakarta.

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Pak. Tjia was a senior member of The Optical Society (OSA) and had received several awards. In 2007, he was the recipient of “Anugrah Sewaka Winayaraha” award from Indonesian government for distinguish services to higher education in Indonesia. In 2009 he was awarded the “Ganesa Cendekia Widya Adiutama” award from Bandung Institute of Technology for unusually wide range of research contributions to material physics through his international publications. He was the recipient of “Achmad Bakrie Award 2012” award from Freedom Institute for exceptional contribution to scientific research in Indonesia and the development of research culture in Indonesia, and the “Sarwono Award 2016” award from Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) for outstanding contribution to scientific research and dedication in developing a research culture in Indonesia.

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Pak Tjia, thank you for your dedications, contributions, and inspirations.