Medan, 2024 – Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) is reinforcing its position as a transparent and accountable public university by actively involving local stakeholders in institutional decision-making. As a State University with Legal Entity (PTN‑BH), USU ensures that not only internal actors, such as academic leaders, faculty members, students, and administrative unitsbut also local government, community organisations, and civil society groups have meaningful channels to participate in shaping university policies and strategic directions.

This participatory model reflects USU’s governance principles of openness, integrity, and shared responsibility, and supports efforts to prevent corruption, organised crime, bribery, and other unethical practices in higher education.

Formal representation and stakeholder roles

USU’s governance framework, anchored in the Statute of Universitas Sumatera Utara (Government Regulation No. 16 of 2014) and reinforced by Rector’s regulations and decrees, provides structured roles for external stakeholders.

  • Local government and community leaders are appointed as members of the Board of Trustees (Majelis Wali Amanat/MWA), the university’s highest governing body. They contribute strategic input on the university’s role in regional development, public service, and community welfare.

  • The Academic Senate and university leadership routinely invite stakeholders to share views on academic priorities, community engagement programmes, and long‑term institutional planning.


Through these mechanisms, community voices are not treated as external commentary but as integral parts of the governance structure.

Consultative forums and public dialogue

USU also organises a range of consultative forums where stakeholders can discuss policies, provide feedback, and help co‑design programmes:

  • The “Socialization of the Strategy for Enhancing Collaboration among PTN‑BH Universities” brought together university leaders, faculty deans, vice‑deans, and collaboration coordinators to discuss how cooperation across state universities can be strengthened. This forum served as a space to align institutional strategy with stakeholder expectations and to improve academic governance and partnership mechanisms.

  • The Socialization of the DAPT‑Equity Program at the Faculty of Economics and Business highlighted how issues of equity, fairness, and accountability are embedded in financial and academic decision‑making. Senior management and faculty members discussed how to ensure that policies are applied consistently and transparently across units.

Similar forums, often facilitated by the Board of Trustees or units responsible for cooperation and internationalisation, enable stakeholders to share perspectives on sustainability, social inclusion, community projects, and local development needs.

Collaborative decision-making and programme co‑design

Beyond consultation, USU engages stakeholders in joint programme design and implementation. In collaboration with local governments and community organisations, university units help:

  • design and deliver programmes in rural development, public health, and disaster management,

  • integrate local knowledge into community service projects (pengabdian kepada masyarakat), and

  • evaluate the social impact of university initiatives on surrounding communities.

Stakeholders are also invited to participate in the review and evaluation of university programmes during Board of Trustees and high‑level coordination meetings, reinforcing USU’s social accountability as a public institution.

Safeguarding integrity and preventing misconduct

USU’s participatory decision‑making model is supported by internal audit units, academic senates, and ethics committees, which oversee compliance with laws, regulations, and institutional codes of conduct.

Every major policy or collaboration:

  • goes through open consultation and internal review,

  • is recorded and monitored through established reporting systems, and

  • includes checks to prevent conflicts of interest, bribery, and misuse of authority.

By combining stakeholder participation with strong oversight, USU adopts a preventive approach against corruption and organised misconduct, and promotes a campus culture based on honesty, professionalism, and responsibility.

USU’s commitment to involving government, community organisations, civil society, and the academic community in its governance processes not only strengthens internal decision‑making, but also positions the university as a model of ethical, accountable, and corruption‑free public administration, supporting a just and peaceful academic environment that contributes to sustainable national development.