Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB, Institut Teknologi Bandung) is a public, coeducational research university located in Bandung. ITB is the oldest technology-oriented university in Indonesia. Established in 1920 as Technische Hogeschool te Bandung (THB), ITB was also the place where Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, earned his engineering degree in civil engineering, concentrating in Architecture. The university prides itself on its reputation as one of the country's centers of excellence in science, technology, and art, and was considered the top choice among Indonesia's high school students in 2006.

The university cultivates professional and social activities by supporting its students' unions, the student government councils that exist in every department. Each students' union has its own distinctly designed jacket that, among other traditions, serves as part of its member identity. There are also a number of student activity units/clubs supporting ITB student interests in rounding out their educational experience. It is not uncommon that the students and alumni are identified by the clubs to which they belong or used to belong at ITB, in addition to their class year and major.

The university is a member of LAOTSE, an international network of leading universities in Europe and Asia exchanging students and senior scholars. ITB's march 'Mars ITB' and hymn 'Hymne ITB' were arranged by a former professor, Prof. DR. Sudjoko Danoesoebrata.

History

ITB traces its origin to de Techniche Hoogeschool te Bandung opened by the Dutch colonial administration to meet the needs of technical resources at its colony in the region now known as Indonesia. When the school opened its door for the first time on July 3, 1920, it had one department namely 'de Faculteit van Technische Wetenschap' with only one academic major of 'de afdeeling der Weg en Waterbouw'. Later ITB became part of the Faculty Engineering of the University of Indonesia (UI, Universitas Indonesia) in Jakarta after Indonesian independence in 1945. In March 2 1959 ITB was officially chartered as a separate academic entity by the government of Indonesia.

Quality and reputation

Several national, regional, and global surveys have been conducted to assess the quality of universities. ITB has been among the first choice of college applicants to enter higher education. In a 1991 study, the top 200 high school students in the national entrance examination indicated ITB as their first choice. In a 2006 national survey to general college applicants population conducted by Koran Tempo, ITB ranked 4th in high school students' preference list of public universities.

In 2000 Asiaweek's Asia's Best Science and Technology Schools survey, ITB was placed in the 21st position, lower than the 1999's rank: 15th. It was, however, ranked 1st in terms of student selectivity. In a global survey of the Times Higher Education Supplement-Quacquarelli Symonds (THES-QS), released at 5 October 2006, ITB was placed on the 258th among other universities around the globe. In terms of web publication quality, in July 2006, Webometrics placed ITB in the 43rd position of The 100 Top Asian Universities List. It ranks 369 in Times Higher Education Supplement World University Rankings 2007, placing the second highest rank in Indonesia after Gadjah Mada University and ahead of Universitas Indonesia.