Banda Aceh, September 2025 — The Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA), Syiah Kuala University (USK), proudly hosted a series of international academic events throughout September 2025. This year marked a special milestone as the department had the great honor of welcoming Prof. Fabrizio Ruggeri, President-Elect of the International Statistical Institute (ISI) — one of the most influential figures in the global advancement of statistical science.
As part of ISI’s global Capacity Building Mission, Prof. Ruggeri delivered a distinguished lecture series titled “Master Course on Bayesian Statistics.” The course was designed for lecturers, researchers, students, and practitioners seeking to deepen both their theoretical understanding and practical skills in Bayesian methods. Conducted over five sessions — on September 8, 10, 12, 15, and 19, 2025 — the program was held in a hybrid format, combining in-person classes at the FMIPA USK Smart Classroom and online sessions via Zoom.
The master course attracted more than 100 participants from across Indonesia, representing a diverse range of institutions, including Universitas Indonesia, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, BINUS University, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Politeknik Statistika STIS, Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII), Universitas Mulawarman, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, UIN Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin Jambi, UIN Walisongo, Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Sunan Giri, Universitas Bengkulu, Universitas Negeri Medan, Universitas Negeri Makassar, and many others. This broad participation reflected the growing enthusiasm within Indonesia’s academic community for advanced statistical learning and international collaboration.
In addition to the master course, Prof. Ruggeri also delivered a Specialized Research Talk titled “Bayesian Robustness under Likelihood and Prior Distortion” on September 9, 2025, held in the Department of Statistics conference room. The session was attended by all faculty members of the Department of Statistics and several lecturers from the Department of Mathematics.
During his visit, Prof. Ruggeri engaged in thought-provoking discussions with USK faculty members on the future prospects of Bayesian research, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration that bridges multiple scientific fields. The conversation underscored how research in Bayesian statistics can integrate diverse academic perspectives, inspiring broader cooperation across departments. These discussions continued in the following week with faculty from Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, and Physics, where Prof. Ruggeri’s approachable explanations helped demystify complex Bayesian concepts and fostered a collaborative research spirit within the FMIPA community.
The Highlight: Statistics Explore 2025
The pinnacle of Prof. Ruggeri’s visit was his keynote address during the Opening Ceremony of Statistics Explore 2025, organized by the Statistics Student Association (HIMASTA) of FMIPA USK on September 17–18, 2025. In the Lecture Session, he delivered an inspiring talk titled “The Last of the Mohicans: Supporting Stochastic Models in the Era of Artificial Intelligence.” The session was attended by all USK Statistics lecturers and students, the Dean of FMIPA USK, and distinguished guests.
Prof. Ruggeri also participated in other Statistics Explore 2025 activities, including the Student Forum, where student teams from Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia presented their group research projects in English. At the conclusion of the session, he expressed his deep appreciation to all participants and organizers for their outstanding work in successfully hosting Statistics Explore 2025.
This series of events reflects USK’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its position as a globally oriented university. The presence of Prof. Fabrizio Ruggeri not only brought cutting-edge insights into the field of statistics but also created valuable opportunities for Indonesia’s academic community to engage directly with one of the world’s leading figures in statistical science — who notably chose Banda Aceh as his first-ever destination in Indonesia.
Prof. Ruggeri’s visit marks another milestone in expanding USK’s international academic collaborations and reinforces the university’s dedication to enhancing educational quality, strengthening global research networks, and advancing its internationalization agenda.
