TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Prabowo Subianto officially appointed Brian Yuliarto as the new Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology at the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon, February 19, 2025.

Professor Brian from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) replaces Satryo Soemantri Brodjonegoro who had served in the position for less than five months.

"[I] decide, determine, appoint the Professor as Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology for the Red and White Cabinet for the remainder of the 2024-2029 period," said Prabowo on February 19, 2025.

Almost all members of the Red and White Cabinet were present at the inauguration ceremony. Among those present were Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi; Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti; Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Budi Gunawan; Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Minister of ATR/BPN Nusron Wahid; and Deputy Minister of Higher Education Stella Christie. However, Satryo Soemantri was not present at the event.

In addition to Brian, Prabowo also inaugurated Nugroho Sulistyo Budi as Head of the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN), Muhammad Yusuf Ateh as Head of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP), Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti as Head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), and Agustina Arumsari as Head of BPKP.

Following the oath, the newly appointed ministers and heads of institutions signed the official appointment documents. The national anthem, Indonesia Raya, was then played. Family members came forward to congratulate and shake hands with President Prabowo and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming.

Before the ceremony, Brian confirmed that he had received an invitation from Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya to attend the event.

"I was asked to attend. Pak Cabinet Secretary told me [to attend]," said Brian when met at the Palace complex in Jakarta on February 19, 2025.

According to the official ITB website, itb.ac.id, Brian is a permanent professor at the Faculty of Industrial Technology on the Ganesha campus. His expertise lies in the Nano and Quantum Technology group.

Brian completed his undergraduate studies at ITB in 1999 and then pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Tokyo, Japan, and graduated in 2002. He earned his doctoral degree from the same university three years later.

Brian began his career at ITB in 2006, working as both a lecturer and a researcher in the field of Engineering Physics.

In 2024, Brian received the Habibie Prize in Engineering Science. He was recognized as one of five outstanding talents in the country for his contributions to the development of science and technology.

He was also a candidate in the ITB Rector election for the 2025-2030 term. He competed against two other professors, Professor Irwan Meilano from the Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology, and Professor Tatacipta Dirgantara from the Faculty of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

However, Brian was not selected by the ITB Board of Trustees as they elected Tatacipta Dirgantara as ITB Rector for the 2025-2030 period.

Editor's Choice: Prabowo to Appoint Nugroho Sulistyo Budi as BSSN Head This Afternoon

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News