Jatinangor, April 2026 – The Department of Biology at Padjadjaran University is hosting the Padjadjaran Hybrid Lecture Series 2026, featuring Prof. Da-Wen Sun as the keynote speaker. Prof. Da-Wen Sun is from University College Dublin, Ireland. He is globally renowned as an expert in food engineering, and his research focuses on cooling, drying, and refrigeration technologies, as well as computer-based innovations in food safety and quality. His name is widely recognized as one of the most influential researchers in the world, evidenced by over 1,400 scientific publications and a high H-index (Scopus: 154, WoS: 140, and Google Scholar: 175), and he was named among the Top 2% of influential researchers by Stanford University in 2023. This visit represents a form of international inter-university research collaboration.

The lecture series was held over two days and divided into four sessions. The first session took place on April 30, 2026, highlighting the importance of vacuum cooling technology in the food and agricultural industries. The second through fourth sessions were held on May 1, 2026. The second session covered the topic of Novel Freezing technology to improve the quality of frozen foods. Meanwhile, the third and fourth sessions discussed the application of computer vision in food quality evaluation processes and Hyperspectral Imaging tools.

The agenda continued with an official meeting between Prof. Da-Wen Sun and the FMIPA leadership and Biology faculty members of Unpad, held in the Einstein Room of the FMIPA Dean’s Office Building at Unpad. The meeting covered various campus programs at Padjadjaran University, ranging from research to student exchange programs. Following that, a discussion session was held, during which the academic programs were aligned and feedback was provided to strengthen the university’s skilled workforce.

The entire academic community of the Biology Department at Universitas Padjadjaran, extend our deepest gratitude to Prof. Da-Wen Sun for the knowledge and insights shared during the Padjadjaran Hybrid Lecture Series 2026. Through the presentation on food technology innovations and technology-based microbial quality evaluation, it is hoped that the knowledge shared will broaden the academic horizons of the Unpad Biology community as they face research challenges in the industrial and technological sectors. 

Writer: Nabiha Fatnunnisa
Editor: Yolani Syaputri, Ph.D 
Documentation: Viola Anindita Dewi