28 November 2024
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Medan, 2024 — Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) is steadily expanding its role as a source of evidence-based advice for local, regional, and national government. Through its academics, alumni, and research centres, USU helps public institutions design policies that are grounded in science and oriented toward sustainable development.
As a State University with Legal Entity status (PTN‑BH), USU is a trusted partner for ministries, provincial governments, and local agencies. Its experts contribute to policy drafting, impact assessments, and strategic planning in fields such as health, environment, law, agriculture, infrastructure, and governance.
One of USU’s leading legal scholars, Prof. Dr. Ningrum Natasya Sirait from the Faculty of Law, was appointed by the Selection Committee as an interviewer in the Public Interview Test for candidates for the Supervisory Board of Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK RI) for the 2024–2029 term.
Her involvement illustrates how USU’s experts help strengthen national integrity systems and anti‑corruption governance, not only through teaching and research but also by taking part in high‑level selection and evaluation processes.
At the national level, USU academics also sit on committees and task forces under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). In these roles, they provide input on curriculum reform, research strategy, and innovation policy so that national decisions are informed by up‑to‑date scientific evidence.
Through its research and community‑service institute (LPPM) and key faculties such as Public Health, Agriculture, and Engineering, USU works closely with regional governments on strategic planning.
USU experts are involved in:
drafting and reviewing Regional Medium‑Term Development Plans (RPJMD),
preparing sectoral development plans for health, agriculture, infrastructure, and environment, and
conducting policy analyses and impact studies to support sustainable development choices.
These activities help provincial and district governments in Sumatra design programmes that respond to local realities while aligning with national and global development goals.
USU’s policy influence also extends beyond Indonesia through its alumni.
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Ahmad Almaududy Amri, a graduate of USU, currently serves as First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia to the United Nations in New York. His work in multilateral forums on sustainable development, international cooperation, and peacebuilding reflects the kind of global public servants shaped by USU’s academic environment.
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From the Faculty of Agriculture, Dr. Ir. Nurzainah Ginting, MSc has gained regional recognition for her research on “Efforts to Find Alternative Antibacterial Solutions as Bio‑Disinfectants for Livestock and the Environment.”
Her work proposes biological alternatives to conventional chemical disinfectants, with implications for:
cleaner and safer livestock practices,
reduced environmental pollution, and
more sustainable agricultural systems across ASEAN.
The research was honoured with the Hitachi Global Foundation Asia Innovation Award 2023, demonstrating how USU’s scientific output can influence regional approaches to sustainability and innovation policy.
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USU’s engagement with government is not incidental; it is organised through a clear cooperation framework.
Collaborations with ministries, provincial governments, and local agencies are formalised via Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and cooperation agreements, coordinated by USU’s cooperation and research bureaus.
Research centres and faculties provide technical studies, position papers, and recommendations that feed into regulations and public programmes.
Multi‑year projects under these agreements ensure that policy advice is systematic, rather than ad hoc, and that follow‑up and evaluation are part of the process.
Through this framework, USU supports institutional reform, sustainability initiatives, and innovation policies in a way that is both accountable and evidence‑based.
Taken together, these examples show how Universitas Sumatera Utara uses its academic strength to serve the public interest. Its experts and alumni:
advise on anti‑corruption oversight,
support regional development planning,
contribute to national education and research policy, and
advance sustainable and innovative solutions in agriculture, health, and the environment.
By embedding research and expertise into governance processes, USU helps build more transparent, effective, and just institutions, in line with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
USU’s growing role in evidence‑based policymaking underlines the university’s identity not just as a centre of learning, but as a strategic partner for governments seeking informed, fair, and future‑oriented decisions.
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