Taking the theme “Working together to protect our health against Covid-19 threats”, USU puts forward the role of campuses in dealing with Covid-19 in Indonesia and North Sumatra in particular. The theme was taken to show USU’s commitment to help the government break the chain and provide education to the public.

This Anniversary is targeted to be a momentum for self-reflection on all that USU has achieved for 69 years, as a means of educating the public regarding incorrect information about the Covid-19 pandemic and as a form of gratitude and motivation to make improvements in the future.

Broadly speaking, the 69th Anniversary consists of three series of events, namely Pre-Event, Main Event, and Closing. The three series of events contained a series of activities to enliven the anniversary of the largest campus outside Java.

As reported by the official website www.usu.ac.id, the Pre-Event consists of four webinar talk shows, each of which is filled by two to three speakers. This activity provided an opportunity for USU alumni to become speakers and resource persons. Carrying “The impact of the pandemic on various sectors in Indonesia and how to deal with it”, the theme is divided into four sub-themes which are discussed in each webinar. Sequentially, the sub-themes are “COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Psychological Impact”, “Properly Independent Isolation and Its Sociological Aspects”, “Models of Behavior Change Efforts to Reduce COVID-19 Transmission”, and “Myths and Facts Around COVID-19”.

In addition to holding webinars as a form of educating the public about the Covid-19 pandemic, USU launched community service innovations. In commemoration of the 69th Anniversary, USU launched USU Telemedicine. The public’s need for fast and accurate information became the basis for USU to launch the application. The application provides consultation and monitoring of self-isolated patients independently.

Adding to the excitement of the event, USU’s 69th Anniversary presented a series of competitions. The competitions are held in accordance with current digital developments. The competition is the Education’s Camera Competition in the Era of New Normal (EDUCAM) which is aimed at students to make unique and out of the box creative videos about tips for online learning activities. Then there was the USU Short Video Competition (SHOVION-USU) which took USU lecturers and teaching staff as participants. This competition takes the theme of Maximum Service in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Besides being specifically for the academic community, the competition that was held also opened up opportunities for the wider community to contribute. The USU – Tiktok Challenge competition with the theme “Your Contribution as Part of the Community to Fight Corona” is open to the entire community. The Educational Poster Competition is the next competition to be held to educate the public. The poster competition has the theme “Innovation to Fight Against Corona”. USU also opened the opportunity for USU academics to participate in creating the logo design for the USU 69th Anniversary. The 10 best logos will be posted on the USU Official Instragram account. Apart from the predetermined competitions, USU is exploring other competitions such as the Vocal Group Competition (Smule) and the Article Writing Competition Related to Covid-19.

The Main Event stage also presents the USU Open Session in the context of the 69th USU Anniversary (1952-2021) via Zoom and Live Youtube Premiere. The session was a manifestation of USU’s presence which had been established and graduated as many as 212,523 alumni. The USU Open Session in the context of USU’s 69th Anniversary will be held on Monday, September 20, 2021. The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and the Governor of North Sumatra are scheduled to attend the session.

In the Main Event stage, the activity was filled with scientific orations from Prof. Dr. dr. Aman Bhakti Pulungan, Sp.A (K), FAAP, FRCPI (Hon). Video screenings of USU’s contribution to the handling of Covid-19 in North Sumatra were also featured in the Main Event series. The Main Event is also scheduled to give awards to lecturers and students who died due to Covid-19, as well as awards to lecturers, education staffs and students.

The entire series of USU 69th Anniversary was closed with the Announcement of the Winners of the Competition. USU prepares prized in the form of coaching money and official certificate from the USU Rector. One of three winners will get a chance to get the prizes.

The USU 69th Anniversary celebration was held online and offline as a form of implementing health protocols. In offline activities, USU applies strict health protocols by the requirement to wear masks, maintain distance, and minimize crowds. (©ULC)

Author: Universitas Sumatera Utara - Universitas Sumatera Utara

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Universitas Sumatera Utara - Universitas Sumatera Utara