USU Public Relations: Vice Rector III of the Universitas Sumatera Utara asked the staff in their fields to maximize their performance in order to achieve the university's internationalization target as one of the USU Rector's priority programs and mandated in the University of Sumatera Utara Long Term Plan Phase II (2020-2024), which is to become an international standard university with local excellence characteristics.

This was conveyed by Prof. Dr. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, M.Si, Apt, in her remarks at the routine apple Monday (19/6/2023), which was held in the courtyard of the USU Rector's Bureau. “In 2023, we are required to be more optimal and focused in fixing all existing shortcomings,” said Prof. Poppy.

In the first semester of 2023, he continued, the exploration of international cooperation continued to be intensified through various cross-country activities. Some of the results that have been obtained include an agreement to establish cooperation between the Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) and Wageningen University of Research Netherlands. Where USU offers research cooperation in agriculture, which was very well responded by Wageningen University when welcoming the USU delegation on March 7-10, 2023.

USU also managed to establish cooperation with various campuses that have international reputations, including Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and Babson College. In the educational exhibition The 75th NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo, USU has also established cooperation agreements with California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSBs), University of California, Irvine (UCI), IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy, and Ludwigshafen University Of Business And Society, Germany (LUBS).
“All international working visits carried out serve to build and strengthen international networks as part of USU's strategy to build trust in its commitment to the internationalization program and realize USU's vision as a university that has academic excellence as a barometer of scientific progress, which is able to compete in the global world level.”

In addition, USU is also exploring cooperation with several universities in the Middle East, such as Iqra University, Indus University and NED University of Engineering and Technology.

“We hope that all of these international cooperation initiations can bring very significant changes to USU's internationalization program and contribute to improving the reputation of the Universitas Sumatera Utara so that it is getting closer to being able to penetrate the 500+ WCU ranking,” he said.

The internationalization programs that have been carried out for 2.5 years have had a positive impact on a number of USU's international rankings. Most recently, in the release of the ranking conducted by THE Impact Rankings 2023, where USU was ranked last year ranked 1001+, now ranked 801 out of 1,591 of the world's best campuses. This ranking also brings USU to be ranked 16th best campus in Indonesia.

“Becoming an international standard university certainly requires the readiness of all of us to mobilize all existing potential and develop it in accordance with established standards, not only in the fulfillment of international standard facilities and infrastructure but also in curriculum preparation, quality of human resources, expansion of cooperation networks, collaboration and synergy with various parties, which are oriented towards international contexts and goals, as well as rapid response and adaptation to changes that occur in all aspects of life. Universities today must strengthen innovation, networking, and institutional collaboration both at home and abroad in order to continue to respond to global changes that occur very quickly,” he explained further.

The internationalization program carried out by the Universitas Sumatera Utara actually not only has an internally beneficial impact on USU as a higher education institution, but can also contribute to the country in the form of capacity building through cultural exchange, development of innovation and science across national borders, friendship between countries and participate in driving the economy.

“With a number of challenges ahead that are not getting easier, I hope that we can all continue to work well together, working together to achieve the performance targets that have been set in order to advance this campus that we love. The role and great responsibility carried out by the work team within the Vice Rector III certainly requires the resilience and patience of all of you in handling it. There are many new and unfamiliar things that we must face from the changes that occur and the forward movement of the Universitas Sumatera Utara in the global arena.”

For this reason, he hopes that everyone can help each other fill in each other's shortcomings, as befits a large team with a very large responsibility. “I believe all of you are tough, tenacious and patient transformation fighters. Let us together finish what we have started and move forward together to realize USU as one of the world's leading universities,” concluded Prof. Poppy. (RJ)

Author: Renny Julia - Public Relations Staff

Interviewee: Prof. Dr. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, M.Si, Apt - Vice Rector III USU

Photographer: Amri Simatupang - Public Relations Staff