When Fulbright visiting scholar Rahman Azis Prasojo arrived on campus this fall, he brought a new current of collaboration to Cal Poly’s Electrical Engineering Department, linking local solar research with Indonesia’s rapidly growing renewable energy grid.
Prasojo, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at Politeknik Negeri Malang in Indonesia, spent the quarter conducting research, collaborating with faculty and supporting student projects on the performance of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
He worked closely with Cal Poly’s Electric Power Institute (EPI), a campus center focused on electric power and renewable energy. His expertise centers on applying machine learning to power systems, particularly diagnostics and condition monitoring, work that has earned him multiple research awards and more than 50 published papers.
Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, is rapidly building its solar infrastructure to meet national decarbonization goals. Prasojo’s Fulbright project aims to strengthen long-term performance and reliability in a tropical climate, where heat and humidity can accelerate degradation in PV systems.
At Cal Poly, he analyzed data from the university’s 4.5-megawatt Gold Tree Solar Farm, which supplies about a quarter of campus electricity. The facility gave him access to large-scale, real-world data to refine diagnostic models and performance loss rate analysis while comparing findings with emerging PV systems in Indonesia.
“Working with Rahman Azis Prasojo has been a fantastic experience,” electrical engineering Professor Jason Poon said. “He brings a unique global perspective on power systems right into our labs. Our students are getting an invaluable opportunity to collaborate with a world-class international scholar, and it’s a prime example of the cross-cultural and technical exchange the Fulbright program fosters.”
Alongside Poon and electrical engineering Professor Taufik, Prasojo joined ongoing solar energy projects and stepped directly into Cal Poly’s classrooms. He provided expert feedback to a senior design team focused on solar analytics, delivered a graduate seminar on Indonesia’s grid and its renewable energy transition, and observed undergraduate courses and labs, trading teaching ideas while learning more about Cal Poly’s curriculum.
As part of the Fulbright Program’s mission to broaden international dialogue, Prasojo also traveled throughout the country. He met with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s PV Reliability group in Colorado, attended the IEEE Power & Energy Society Transformers Committee meeting in Florida, visited the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga through the Fulbright Outreach Lecturing Fund and joined scholars at the Colorado Fulbright Enrichment Seminar.
He met with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s PV Reliability group in Colorado and attended the IEEE Power & Energy Society Transformers Committee meeting in Florida. He also visited the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the Transmission Asset Performance Center of the Tennessee Valley Authority through the Fulbright Outreach Lecturing Fund. Additionally, he joined scholars at the Colorado Fulbright Enrichment Seminar.
“Hosting a Fulbright scholar of Prasojo’s caliber is an honor for the Electric Power Institute,” said Taufik, former director of EPI. “His research on Cal Poly’s solar farm provides us with new insights and directly benefits our students in many ways. This collaboration strengthens our ties with Indonesia and opens the door for future joint projects.”
His visit gave Cal Poly students a direct window into global energy challenges and practice while building a lasting link with Politeknik Negeri Malang. In doing so, it demonstrated the Fulbright Program’s mission in action, turning shared research and teaching into meaningful cross-cultural partnerships.
