USU PR—Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) welcomed a delegation from the Consulate General of Malaysia, led by Shahril Nizam Abdul Malek. The meeting took place in the Rector's Audience Room on Monday (Mar. 25)

Shahril Nizam Abdul Malek's visit to USU aimed to introduce himself and discuss the existing collaborations between USU and various universities in Malaysia.

Vice Rector III of USU, Prof. Dr. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, S.Si., M.Si., Apt., explained that the meeting outcome was a plan for further collaboration. She also stated that the Consulate General of Malaysia strongly supports academic activities at USU, especially the collaboration between students and lecturers with educational institutions in Malaysia.

"So we introduced ourselves and discussed the collaborations that USU has done, particularly with universities in Malaysia. The Minister has stated that he will fully support our activities, especially for students and lecturers who collaborate with universities in Malaysia," said Prof. Poppy.

The Consul General of Malaysia, Shahril Nizam Abdul Malek, hopes that the collaboration between the Consulate General of Malaysia in Medan and USU can be enhanced for the benefit of USU students. Considering that the two countries share a relatively close geographical proximity, efforts will be made to introduce Indonesian and Malaysian students to each other on a more personal level, not just formally. The goal is to foster mutual understanding, which is expected to bring academic benefits and enhance soft skills development for students from both countries.

"I hope that the Consulate General of Malaysia in Medan can work closely with USU for the students' benefit. Geographically, Malaysia and Indonesia are not far apart. Therefore, we can explore many untapped potentials that could benefit students in Indonesia and Malaysia. We need to get to know each other officially and personally to understand one another better," said the Consul General of Malaysia.