USU Public Relations - Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) in collaboration with the Indonesian Embassy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands held a Diaspora Gathering in The Hague, Netherlands, Saturday (11/26/2022) at 10.00am local time. The activity was also structured with a seminar entitled "Bung Hatta's Legacy - Weaving Indonesianness from the Netherlands" with USU Professor Prof. Dr. Drs Budi Agustono, MS as speaker, along with moderator Deputy Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Freddy Martin Panggabean.

USU Rector Dr. Muryanto Amin, SSos, MSi in his remarks hoped that the Diaspora Gathering activities in the Netherlands could build trust and emotional ties so as to strengthen the friendship between USU and the diaspora.

"We hope that communication will continue to build from here, so that the friendship with USU continues to be even stronger. If friendship is established, trust and emotional bonds will arise so that opportunities for cooperation can be created for both parties," Mury said.

The Rector explained that there are many programs that could be designed between USU and the diaspora and the embassy. Bung Hatta's Inheritance Seminar is one of them. In the future, it is hoped that other programs will be designed that can have an impact on mutual progress.

"The transfer of experiences and information from the diaspora will add to Tri Dharma services at USU, especially now that USU has announced campus internationalization and we hope to be able to collaborate with universities in the Netherlands," he said.

Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands H.E. Mayerfas in his remarks represented by Deputy Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Freddy Martin Panggabean welcomed the visit of the Universitas Sumatera Utara to the land of windmills.

"USU itself is the oldest campus on the island of Sumatra which has a good reputation in Indonesia. As Indonesia's representative in the Netherlands, of course the embassy will fully support the cooperation programs that will be carried out, especially since the cooperation is for the advancement of education in Indonesia," he conveyed.

The Indonesian Embassy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said Freddy, would facilitate USU's needs in programs that would be carried out with various parties in the Netherlands, including with the diaspora. "Hopefully what has been proclaimed can be realized and relations between diaspora and USU can be more closely intertwined," he said.

During his visit to the Netherlands, the Rector of USU was accompanied by Deputy Rector I Dr Edy Ikhsan, SH, MA, Deputy Rector III Prof Dr Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, SSi, MSi, Apt, and Director of the Directorate of Student Achievement and Alumni Relations Doli Muhammad Jafar Dalimunthe, SE, MSc.

In addition to holding a Diaspora Gathering with the Indonesian Embassy for the Kingdom of the Netherlands, USU participated in the Go-Abroad Fair by opening an education exhibition booth in Ultrecht, Netherlands, for two days, Friday-Saturday, (11/25-26/2022). During the Go-Abroad Fair, USU had the opportunity to introduce studies, internship programs, summer course programs, sabbatical leave, student mobility, and others.

This effort was made by USU to achieve the target of entering the 500 Top World Class Universities (WCU). Previously, USU had also collaborated with several campuses in Asia, such as with South Korea and Thailand. With the visit of the USU delegation to the Netherlands, it is hoped that there will be an expansion of international cooperation. (©ULC)

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Irsan Mulyadi - Humas