USU PR - Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) held the first period of graduation for the 2023/2024 Academic Year with a total of 2,279 graduates who had completed their studies from August to October 2023. The graduation procession itself was held for two days in the USU Auditorium, Tuesday-Wednesday (21-22/11/2023).

USU Rector Prof. Muryanto Amin, SSos, MSi in his speech entitled "Critical Thinking: Cannot Be Replaced by Machines in the World of Work" alluded to the rapid digital world and the use of technology in society, but the use of technology still requires human thinking in the process of working. This means that a very deep and short thought process makes the use of machines in the digital world more optimized.

"That kind of thinking is called critical thinking, which then produces various downstream products, including digitization which is translated into machines. The use of machines in the digital world requires human critical thinking that continues to produce certain patterns or models of the ability to understand and find solutions to human problems. It will not be possible for the digital machine to work alone and the machine won't be able to provide and even develop if there are unexpected changes. That is the phenomenon of critical thinking that is very necessary to be owned by young people who are experiencing formal education, to distinguish those who believe in experience-based, "said the rector starting his speech.

The Rector said that the ability of critical thinking can be learned and practiced in a learning process that will produce the right decisions and effective solutions. When thinking critically, one does not just take information for granted but also asks questions, assesses the truth, considers alternatives, and looks for the best solution based on existing evidence and facts. Critical thinking allows one to avoid bias and narrow-mindedness, thus making better decisions and arguing more convincingly. This ability can be trained in the formal education process.

"Graduates of Universitas Sumatera Utara, at least in the last three years, have experienced a learning process that strengthens critical thinking through the Outcome Based Education (OBE) curriculum, Collaborative/Participatory Classes, and preparation for learning in study programs that have and will get international accreditation. The main reason for changing the learning process to international standards is to create an academic environment through the growth, development, and strengthening of critical thinking among students and lecturers," said Prof. Mury.

As alumni of Universitas Sumatera Utara, the rector hopes that they must be accustomed to using critical thinking wherever and whenever and must not stop. "The power of critical thinking that will be displayed will definitely provide positive energy for anyone and any institution that needs it," he said.

Prof. Mury explained that critical thinking cannot be done alone. It must be collaborative to get used to understanding problems and providing solutions. It is very difficult when you provide solutions to problems from one perspective because they come from very limited sources. The habit of collaboration must be prioritized to focus on providing benefits from a variety of different problems and from a rich source of perspectives. Global collaboration is very important because world connectivity is inevitable.

The challenge for Indonesian young people, he added, is to showcase local wisdom with all the resources in it, which must have international standards including creating downstream. Indonesia's rich local potential is managed for the prosperity of the country, not to become consumers in their own country.

As one of the best campuses in Indonesia, Universitas Sumatera Utara has carried out various program arrangements over the past 3 years and continues without stopping, to produce alumni who are product knowledge-based. "The Tri Dharma service program provided by Universitas Sumatera Utara is part of creating critical thinking that is needed in facing the world of work," said Prof Mury.

Universitas Sumatera Utara itself has laid the foundation to strengthen the academic environment with standards recognized by national assessment institutions and international ranking institutions, namely QS and THE. Achievements at the national level include BAN-PT has determined Universitas Sumatera Utara to achieve Superior Accreditation in 2022 and as many as 44% of study programs have achieved superior accreditation/A and 47% have achieved Excellent accreditation/B.

Universitas Sumatera Utara received an A grade for SAKIP in 2023, won the ZI / WBK predicate from the Ministry of PAN-RB, won 9 Higher Education / Research awards, and informative PPID from the Central KIP. The achievements of Universitas Sumatera Utara student delegation in national competitions were winning 238 gold, 145 silver, and 90 bronze.

While at the international level, internationally accredited study programs are S1 Chemical Engineering, S1 Medicine, S1 Pharmacy, S1 Nursing Science, and S1 Public Health while international accreditation is ongoing, namely S1 Mechanical Engineering, S1 Electrical Engineering, and S1 Industrial Engineering. QS WUR has included USU in 26 universities in Indonesia in the 2024 ranking and only 15 state universities and 5 private universities are included in its ranking. QS WUR 2024 released 1,500 universities worldwide in its ranking in July 2023.

Universitas Sumatera Utara already has a standard as a world-class university (world university ranking) at 1,201 QS WUR rankings in 2023, 1,501 THE WUR rankings in 2023, the top 5 universities in Indonesia according to Schimago Rank in 2023, rising from 28th to 12th place in Indonesia according to Webometric in 2023, reaching 401-450 QS AUR in 2023 or up 50 ranks from last year. Achievements of Universitas Sumatera Utara students in 2023 won 47 gold medals, 38 silver medals, and 50 bronze medals in various international competitions.

In 2023, Universitas Sumatera Utara will implement the Enhancing Quality Education for International University Recognition (EQUITY) Program to achieve 500 QS rankings of world-class universities. The process of improving assessments from various institutions at the national and international levels is a reinforcement that the adaptation of Tri Dharma at Universitas Sumatera Utara is running according to the plan that has been set, even some indicators are progressing faster than the original plan.

"We must also continue to display critical thinking so that the alumni produced are quickly absorbed by the industry. We need help from the entire community, which will accelerate the transformation of Universitas Sumatera Utara into an internationally respected university. The graduates produced by Universitas Sumatera Utara are relentless learners. Once again, we are very confident that the graduates of Universitas Sumatera Utara will be able to follow and deepen their role using critical thinking in the world of work, to benefit others and their environment. Support and prayers from the community, including the ladies and gentlemen in this room, are very important for us so that the implementation of Tri Darma at Universitas Sumatera Utara can produce the Golden Generation of Indonesia," concluded USU Rector Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, SSos, MSi.

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Muhammad Andriansyah - Humas