University of Indonesia - Logo and Philosophy

Logo and Philosophy

The earliest form of the logo of Universitas Indonesia was created in 1952 by Sumaxtono (born as Sumartono), a student from the 1951 Art Department class, Faculty of Engineering, at the time known as the Fakulteit Teknik Universiteit Indonesia, in Bandung.

The logo is the kala-makara, a symbol of the two sources of energy in nature. Kala is the energy from above (the power of the sun), while makara represents the energy from below (the power of the Earth). The two powers are combined and stylized into a symbol that represents the function of Universitas Indonesia as a source of knowledge.

The logo of Universitas Indonesia carries the following interpretation:

• The tree, which includes the buds and the branches, represents science and its branches, implying as well that the buds will soon flourish and turn into new branches of science. The buds will continue to blossom as long as the main tree is alive. By this, Sumaxtono intended to state that branches of sciences will continuously grow.
• Water pouring down from the makara signifies the works of science.

The logo design and the meaning it carried were presented to Srihadi (a student from the 1952 class from the same department) in 1952. Prof. KRHT H. Srihadi Soedarsono Adhikoesoemo, M.A. who created the logo of Bandung Technology Institute, was not sure who authenticated this logo or when. He was sure, however, that it was printed on the cover of the book Universiteit Indonesia, Fakulteit Teknik, Bandung: Rentjana Untuk Tahun Peladjaran 1952-1953 (Universitas Indonesia, Faculty of Engineering, Bandung: Course Plans for Academic Years 1952-1953), published by AID, Bandung, 120 pages, using the original design by Sumaxtono (without the pentagonal border).