USU Public Relations - Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), together with the Agency of Food Security Medan is trusted by The International Organization for Migration (IOM) to collaborate in organising “Global Migration Feast Festival in Indonesia” at USU Student Hall, Thursday (15/12/2022).

The festival was held to celebrate International Migrants Day, which is celebrated every 18 December. In addition to Medan, IOM held this event in 8 other cities, including Pekanbaru, Batam, Tanjung Pinang, Tangerang, Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, and Kupang.

The Global Migration Feast Festival combines film, culinary, art, music, education, discussion, and more. Together with USU and the Medan City Food Security Office, IOM organised a series of activities, including film screenings, public lectures, musical and dance performances, and culinary delights targeting students, academics, the government, and the people of Medan. 

In response to this activity, the Director of the Internationalisation and Global Partnership Directorate of USU, Prof. Dr. Eng. Himsar Ambarita ST., MT., said that USU takes responsibility for overcoming the problems faced by the country. This activity is in line with the demands of USU's SDGs, such as a world without poverty, child protection, gender equality, and so on. 

" USU as an institution has a responsibility to care for problems occurring around us; therefore, we are implementing this MoU. We want to help the existing problems," he said.

According to Prof. Dr Eng. Himsar Ambarita ST, MT, many things can be collaborated with IOM without overlooking the rules set by our country about immigrants, one of which is helping to fulfil basic needs such as education.

"There are many things we can do in terms of collaboration, but as a government institution, we cannot be separated from the country's rules in dealing with refugees; of course there are limitations," explained Prof Himsar.

The Director of the Internationalisation and Global Partnership Directorate of USU hopes to do humanity development. He added that various issues and events happening in the world of refugees can be used as case studies by students and lecturers at USU. 

" We hope we can do humanity development either from human resources or the existing problems in IOM as a kind of case study," he added.

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: - - Humas