ZONALITERASI.ID – Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) has reached another academic milestone with the appointment of Dr. Eka Cahya Prima, S.Pd., M.T., as a professor in materials physics for energy. With this achievement, Prof. Eka is recognized as one of the youngest professors in Indonesia in the field of physics. The official handover of his Professor Decree (SK Guru Besar) took place at the Partere Meeting Room, Jl. Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229, Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
Prof. Eka expressed his gratitude for the appointment and appreciation for the university’s consistent support for his research. “Alhamdulillah, I would like to thank Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia for providing full support for our research, both in terms of funding, workspace, and laboratory facilities,” he said.
Currently, Prof. Eka is actively developing research on solar-cell materials and renewable energy through the Solar Energy Materials Laboratory within the Physics and Science Education Study Programs at UPI, covering academic levels from undergraduate (S1) to doctoral (S3). The laboratory has become an important hub for renewable energy research at UPI and facilitates collaboration across institutions.
His research group has established partnerships with several national universities and research institutions, including Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN), Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad), and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), as well as other universities across Java. The laboratory has also hosted collaborative research activities and visits from Universitas Sriwijaya (Unsri) and Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in the development of solar cells and material synthesis and characterization services.
Research outputs from Prof. Eka and his team have been published in internationally recognized journals such as Advanced Energy Materials (Wiley) and ACS Nano Materials. Several of these research findings have already reached the commercialization stage, contributing to the advancement of renewable energy technology in Indonesia.
Looking ahead, Prof. Eka aims to strengthen the establishment of a University Level Center of Excellence in renewable energy at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. In addition to research development, he is committed to promoting sustainable science education through the Education for Sustainable Development Goals (ESDG) framework and the ongoing STEM education strengthening program, which has been implemented at UPI over the past three years.
Throughout his academic journey, Prof. Eka has emphasized the importance of teamwork. He acknowledged the contributions of lecturers, researchers, and students within his research group, which currently includes around 27 students from different academic levels and universities across Indonesia. Support from UPI’s leadership from the Rector to faculty deans also played a significant role in the smooth process of his professorship appointment.
Prof. Eka hopes that his achievement will inspire young lecturers and researchers to continue producing impactful work, building collaborations, and contributing to the advancement of science and the nation particularly in the fields of renewable energy and science education.
In addition, this story supports SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy through advanced research on solar cells and renewable-energy systems, SDG 4: Quality Education by strengthening sustainable science and STEM education, and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure by fostering innovation, commercialization, and cross-institution collaboration in science and engineering. (Rija/Berita UPI)***
