Cross-Border Engineering Synergy: ITB Introduces Global Multidisciplinary Design Course at the Global E3 Forum
By Syabina Er Said - Mahasiswa Teknik Dirgantara, 2020
Editor M. Naufal Hafizh, S.S.
BANDUNG, itb.ac.id — As part of the 30th anniversary celebration of the IIE Global Engineering Education Exchange (Global E3), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) held a talk show titled “Connecting Global Education with Community Service: Global Multidisciplinary Design Course (GMDC)” on Tuesday (May 20, 2025), at the East Hall, ITB Ganesha Campus. The session was delivered by Dr. Taufiq Mulyanto, Associate Professor from the Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (FTMD) ITB, and moderated by Dr. Annisa Jusuf, S.T., M.T.
The core of the GMDC program is both relevant and compelling. Engineering students from various countries work together virtually to design the aircraft of the future. For example, they are challenged to design a 30-40 passenger electric-powered regional commuter aircraft with a range of 500 nautical miles, or a VTOL airtaxi capable of carrying six passengers with several additional mission requirements.
In this program, students from ITB collaborate with peers from Arizona State University (ASU), Purdue University, and Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS). They are divided into international teams and work like professional engineers—developing designs from scratch, creating digital prototypes, and presenting their final designs to faculty members and industry practitioners.
Unlike conventional courses, assessment in the GMDC program is project-based. Students are evaluated through design planning presentations, design reviews, and final reports delivered both in writing and orally. All activities take place online, simulating the realities of today’s global work environment. Through this project, students learn not only technical skills but also cross-cultural communication, time management across time zones, and multinational teamwork.
This talk show opened the eyes of participants to the fact that engineering education need not be confined to local classrooms. Through GMDC, ITB students and international partners are trained to become engineers of the future: technically competent, globally collaborative, and sensitive to real-world challenges.
Syabina Er Said (Aerospace Engineering, 2020)
Mikayla Caesari Azalia (Management, 2024)
