On February 5, 2025, Natalia Beshchasna was appointed adjunct professor at Universitas Gadjah Mada. At one of Indonesia's largest and most prestigious universities, she will conduct research, hold seminars and lectures, supervise doctoral students and expand the collaboration between the university and Fraunhofer IKTS. Her work will focus on polymer-based structures and nanomaterials in the dental field, as well as microfluidic-based organ-on-chip systems.

Natalia Beshchasna has known Prof. Ika Dewi Ana, from the Faculty of Dentistry at Universitas Gadjah Mada, since 2021, when they worked together on a joint project. In 2024, as part of a trip to Indonesia, Fraunhofer IKTS delegates visited several universities, research institutions and local companies to establish research collaborations in Asia. Here, they met again with Prof. Ika Dewi Ana, who proposed Ms. Beshchasna for the professorship. At the beginning of 2025, the approval was granted for an initial duration of five years.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Natalia Beshchasna has been with Fraunhofer IKTS since 2011, leading the “Biodegradation and Nanofunctionalization” working group since 2020. In this role, she is primarily concerned with material changes and aging processes of implants under the influence of artificial physiological media in order to investigate interactions between functionalized implant materials and human tissue.

We congratulate her on her appointment and wish her every success in her activities at Universitas Gadjah Mada. We are also pleased that she will make an important contribution to opening up the Indonesian market for Fraunhofer IKTS.