Parahyangan Catholic University (officially abbreviated as “UNPAR”) was established in 1955, beginning with the Faculty of Economics. This starting point reflected the university’s commitment to serving society, particularly in addressing the fundamental needs of a newly independent nation whose economic resources had not yet been fully transferred from the former colonial power and, therefore, were not yet entirely controlled for the benefit of the people.
The Faculty of Economics was soon followed by the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. The university’s motto, Bakuning Hyang Mrih Guna Santyaya Bhakti, which means “Based on faith in God, to pursue knowledge and dedicate it to society,” has consistently guided these steps.
In 1983, the Suryagung Bumi College of Philosophy and Theology merged with UNPAR to become the Faculty of Philosophy, broadening UNPAR’s vision. At that point, UNPAR was no longer limited to providing social sciences and engineering but also, as a university, offered the opportunity to explore the essence and purpose of human life through this new faculty.
Another significant milestone came in 1993 with the establishment of the Faculty of Industrial Technology and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA, later renamed the Faculty of Science/FS in 2024 to emphasize its role more concretely). This initiative was driven by the then Chair of the UNPAR Foundation, Prof. Dr. B. Suprapto Brotosiswojo, who recognized a new regulation issued by the Directorate General of Higher Education requiring that a university must have at least three faculties in the field of natural sciences. This was considered the right moment to complete UNPAR’s academic structure with both technological and fundamental sciences.
It was during this period that the Department and Study Program of Physics was first established at UNPAR. This choice was also based on the fact that the Faculty of Engineering particularly the Civil Engineering and Architecture programs had long required physics courses, and therefore, qualified lecturers were already available.