SNU Professor Seokwon Jeon Receives Indonesia’s Top Academic Honor from Bandung Institute of Technology
First Korean Recipient of the “Ganesa Widya Jasa Adiutama” Award for Contributions to Rock Engineering and Resource Development


▲ Professor Seokwon Jeon of the Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Seoul National University

Seoul National University College of Engineering announced that Professor Seokwon Jeon of the Department of Energy Resources Engineering was awarded the 2025 Ganesa Widya Jasa Adiutama, the highest academic honor conferred by the Bandung Institute of Technology (Institut Teknologi Bandung, ITB), Indonesia’s premier university of technology. The award ceremony took place on July 3.

Named after Ganesha—the deity of wisdom and the official mascot of ITB—the Ganesa Widya Jasa Adiutama is presented annually by the university president on the occasion of ITB’s founding anniversary. It recognizes individuals or institutions that have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of science, technology, and knowledge. This year, Professor Jeon became the first Korean recipient of the prestigious award.

Professor Jeon, an internationally recognized expert in rock engineering and resource development, was honored for his efforts in advancing global academic research in the field and for his role in nurturing professional talent through active research collaborations and academic exchanges with ITB. His work has helped establish a robust model for cooperation between Korea and Indonesia.

The award also holds particular significance given that ITB is a key institution for training resource development experts in Indonesia—a country rich in critical minerals such as nickel and cobalt, which are essential to South Korea’s strategic mineral supply chains. Professor Jeon’s recognition is thus expected to bolster academic and industrial cooperation between the two nations in the field of mineral resources.

“Research and education in energy and resources—fundamental pillars for national survival—are essential for the future,” Professor Jeon said. “In a country like Korea, where natural resources are scarce, our longstanding collaboration with ITB in practical training and research in resource development has been especially meaningful. I am truly honored to receive the Ganesa Widya Jasa Adiutama and hope this recognition further strengthens the cooperative framework between Korea and Indonesia.”

Since joining SNU in 1997, Professor Jeon has dedicated his career to advancing research and educating future experts in areas including rock mechanics, resource development engineering, and underground space engineering. He has also served as Director of the Institute of Energy Resources Technology and as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the College of Engineering.

Currently, he serves as President of the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM)—a leading academic society with over 10,000 members across 60 countries. He is also Director of the Innovative Convergence University Project for New Energy Industries, where he leads research in underground resource development, energy storage, deep geological disposal of radioactive waste, and other advanced applications of rock engineering.


▲ The 2025 Ganesa Widya Jasa Adiutama Medal awarded to Professor Seokwon Jeon by the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Indonesia

[Contact Information]
Seohyun Park, Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Seoul National University / shyun@snu.ac.kr