USU PR - Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) held a graduation procession for Period IV of the 2022/2023 Academic Year with a total of 4,189 graduates. The graduation process itself was held for four days from August 30 - September 2, 2023, at the USU Auditorium.

USU graduates in this period consisted of 1,606 people (38.34%) Men and 2,583 people (61.66%) Women. Until now the number of USU graduates is 250,134 people.

USU Rector Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., MSi., chose the theme "Resilient Learners and the Phenomenon of Gig Economy Workers" in his speech, to continue the speech at the previous graduation which took the theme "Megashift: Transforming Problems into Solutions in the Industrialized World".

"Almost all productive humans around the world will never close their eyes and minds to know, understand, and respond to changes that are very fast and difficult to predict," said the rector starting his speech.

The Rector explained that the digital revolution, climate change, and the impact of the pandemic, which is often called Triple Disruption, require us all to massively change the way we manage social, economic, cultural, political, and other life interactions.

"The emergence of the gig economy phenomenon is one of the impacts of the changes that are happening in the industrial world and requires graduates of Universitas Sumatera Utara to have the ability to face this phenomenon. It becomes very relevant that we will never get tired of conveying the meaning of being USU alumni as lifelong learners," he said.

The Rector said he had discussed with many alumni of Universitas Sumatera Utara who worked in global-scale industries in their positions as employees with various statuses, business owners, as well as business owners.

with various statuses, business owners, and freelance workers. Those who work as employees said that they can complete their work not necessarily in the office, but can be done anywhere and anytime, and the results must be by the set size.

Meanwhile, alumni who work as business owners stated that ideas and work will always come from their ability to offer solutions to problems faced by their clients or consumers. However, interestingly, alumni who work as freelancers explained that they work with a fairly tight schedule and often receive more than one client or consumer at the same time.

The latter type of freelancer is now referred to as the gig economy phenomenon that is happening in the industrialized world due to advances in digital technology. It is more adaptive, does not require a long administrative process, performance performance-oriented, and attractive income.

"Gig economy is a terminology of a type of work that continues to grow in the era of disruption, advances in digital technology, and the strengthening of environmental issues. The gig economy phenomenon must be taken seriously so that the negative impacts can be anticipated as early as possible. We can start by asking the question, what is the gig economy and how do we as productive humans deal with it? Especially for all of us, graduates of Universitas Sumatera Utara and parents who are present today, to respond to this gig economy phenomenon, "said the rector.

The gig economy, said the rector, has many benefits because employers will seek access to a wide range of strong learning talents that they can employ. When employers do not choose or seek full-time workers, they can recruit workers from the gig economy sector. The important lesson is to familiarize yourself with the graduates of Universitas Sumatera Utara to continue to have the talent of systematic and critical thinking as a resilient learner. There is no need to question the negative impact of the emergence of the gig economy phenomenon, because it will harm us.

Take advantage of the gig economy as an option to do a lot of work, work from anywhere depending on specific jobs, freedom, and flexibility in daily routines. Utilize your habits as a digital native to manage the advancement of telecommuting and automation and the unlimited potential of crowdsourcing to face the gig economy. Be a strong learner according to your passion, then you will feel that work is a form of self-happiness that is done wholeheartedly. Use your digital literacy skills appropriately to carve achievements into an unlimited legacy of offering solutions for the industry. Those are some of the characteristics of being a resilient learner facing the gig economy.

"Strong learners will always make efforts by offering innovations to overcome humanitarian problems in your environment. Always pray to strengthen the belief that efforts will not betray results. Every prayer from our endeavors serves to maintain consistency and focus to get the results as planned. The cycle will run continuously which will make you, the graduates, become alumni who are always taken into account by the industrial world," he said.

As the best campus, Universitas Sumatera Utara has carried out various program arrangements over the past 2 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 learners in facing the world of work including the gig economy phenomenon. USU has achieved Superior Accreditation in 2022, has standardized as a world-class university (world university ranking) ranked 1,201 QS WUR in 2023, ranked 451 by QS AUR in 2023, ranked 1,501 THE WUR in 2023, ranked 5th best PT in Indonesia by Schimago Rank in 2023, ranked from 28th to 12th PTN in Indonesia by Webometric in 2023, A rating for SAKIP in 2023. Universitas Sumatera Utara, in 2023, will implement the Enhancing Quality Education for International University Recognition (EQUITY) Program to achieve a ranking of 500 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. Therefore, the EQUITY Program becomes very important for improvements in learning processes such as curriculum, learning methods, integration of Tri Dharma (education, research/publication, and community service), as well as improvements in learning facilities/infrastructure that will continue to transform old ways to new innovative ways. Everything is done so that alumni of Universitas Sumatera Utara become strong lifelong learners and can manage the gig economy phenomenon for their welfare, benefitting others and the environment.

Universitas Sumatera Utara which manages 39,644 students and has produced 250,134 alumni, must continue to move collaboratively or work together with various other stakeholders so that the alumni produced are quickly absorbed by the industry. We need help from the entire community that will accelerate the transformation of Universitas Sumatera Utara into an internationally respected university. Graduates produced by Universitas Sumatera Utara can become relentless learners.

"Once again, we are very confident that graduates of Universitas Sumatera Utara will be able to follow and explore their role in facing the gig economy phenomenon as long as they are beneficial to 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. That is the important message that we convey on this very happy occasion. Lastly, I would like to deliver the quote of the day, on this happiest day: "I want to have a day that does not worry about the future or think about the past," concluded the rector.

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Irsan Mulyadi - Humas