USU PR - Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) held a kick-off event in preparation for the 37th National Student Science Week (PIMNAS) which will take place at Universitas Airlangga. A total of 11 PKM teams from USU have successfully passed and will compete with other universities throughout Indonesia. The event, held in the Academic Senate courtroom, took place on Thursday (05/09/2024).

The increase in the number of teams that passed this year shows significant progress, considering that in the previous two years, the number of teams that made it to PIMNAS was not this many. USU itself targets 11 medals, which is one medal from each participating team.

In his speech, USU Vice Rector I, Dr. Edy Ikhsan, S.H., M.A., emphasized the importance of the spirit and commitment of each team member to achieve maximum performance. He also highlighted the importance of full support from families and mentors in ensuring the mental and technical readiness of the participants.

“I see that this team must be able to perform exceptionally, not only for this competition but also in the long run. We need new ideas, high spirits, and commitment to bring USU's name to a higher level,” said Dr. Edy.

Meanwhile, Suri Mutia Siregar, S.Psi, M.Psi, as Secretary of the USU PKM Center, added that the USU team's achievements this year were quite proud. USU managed to rank 9th nationally as the university with the highest number of teams qualifying for PIMNAS. Among universities outside Java, USU occupies the second position and is the highest in Sumatra.

“This is a very proud achievement. It shows that our students are not only able to compete at the regional level but also at the national level with renowned universities,” he explained.

Dr. Rulianda Purnomo Wibowo, S.P., M.Ec., Ph.D., one of the supervisors, also gave a motivational message to the team. He emphasized that the spirit of keeping moving forward and developing is the main key to achieving success. According to him, the current achievement is not the endpoint but the first step to achieving greater achievements.

“Never be satisfied with what we have achieved. There are always things that can be improved. We must keep looking for new ideas and inspiration to give our best,” he said.

PKM representative from the VGK Ulos Heritage team, Jasmine Meilani Halim, also said that the support and prayers from all parties, including lecturers, fellow students, and family, would be an additional strength for her team. She also reflected the strong determination of all team members to give their best for USU.

“We are grateful for the support from all parties, from our supervisors to the PKM Center. The journey is still long, but we are determined to bring not only souvenirs but also a gold medal for USU,” he said with enthusiasm.