Carrying the theme “Skills, Systems & Sustainable Futures,” the forum brought together university leaders, policymakers, academics, and industry representatives to discuss the skills, educational systems, technologies, and international partnerships required to build inclusive and sustainable higher education. The forum was organised by QS Quacquarelli Symonds and hosted by United Arab Emirates University.
The USU delegation was led by Prof. Dr. Eng. Himsar Ambarita, S.T., M.T., Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Partnerships, and included:
- Dr. Maya Silvi Lydia, B.Sc., M.Sc., Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology;
- Dr. Umi Salmah, S.K.M., M.Kes., Dean of the Faculty of Public Health; and
Dr. Abdillah Arif Nasution, S.E., M.Si., Ak., CA., QGIA, CHRS, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business.
Expanding USU’s Global Engagement in Africa
USU’s participation in the QS Africa Forum 2026 formed part of the university’s broader internationalisation strategy, particularly its efforts to establish stronger academic connections with higher education institutions across the African continent.
Through the forum, the USU delegation explored opportunities for research partnerships addressing global sustainability challenges in areas aligned with USU’s research strengths. These include public health, food security, digital transformation, renewable energy, environmental sustainability, economic development, and community resilience.
The delegation also introduced opportunities for academic mobility involving students and faculty members. Potential initiatives discussed included student exchange programmes, faculty exchanges, visiting professor programmes, joint research projects, and other forms of academic collaboration that could generate tangible benefits for participating institutions.
Another important component of USU’s mission was promoting the Kemitraan Negara Berkembang Scholarship, commonly known as the KNB Scholarship, to prospective students and institutional partners in Africa. The Indonesian Government provides the KNB Scholarship to international students from developing countries and countries with diplomatic relations with Indonesia to pursue higher education at Indonesian universities.
By promoting the scholarship, USU seeks to attract talented international students, strengthen multicultural academic interaction, and contribute to greater educational access and people-to-people relations between Indonesia and African countries.
Strategic Dialogue with the Indonesian Ambassador
During the visit to Addis Ababa, the USU delegation also held an audience with H.E. Faizal Chery Sidharta, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, concurrently accredited to the Republic of Djibouti, the State of Eritrea, and the African Union.
The meeting discussed potential academic and institutional cooperation that could be developed with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Addis Ababa. Particular attention was given to the promotion of the KNB Scholarship, visiting professor programmes, student mobility, and the establishment of connections between USU and universities in Ethiopia and other African countries.
The Ambassador welcomed the potential contribution of higher education institutions such as USU to strengthening Indonesia’s relations with Africa. The Indonesian Embassy could serve as an important bridge in identifying prospective university partners, facilitating communication with local stakeholders, and promoting Indonesian higher education opportunities to African students and academics.
Also attending the audience from the Indonesian Embassy were Paulina Gupta Wijaya, First Secretary and Head of Chancery, who also performs the Embassy’s economic affairs function, and Salman Aditya, a staff member of the Information, Social, and Cultural Affairs Function.
Their participation provided opportunities for more detailed discussions on the diplomatic, administrative, economic, and sociocultural support required to develop sustainable academic partnerships between USU and institutions in the region.
Advancing USU’s World-Class University Vision
USU’s participation in the QS Africa Forum and its engagement with the Indonesian Embassy represent important steps towards strengthening the university’s position as a globally connected institution.
The visit is expected to open new opportunities for strategic partnerships that benefit students, academic staff, researchers, and institutional units across USU. It also enhances USU’s visibility within a prestigious international higher education forum and demonstrates its commitment to contributing to sustainable development through education, research, innovation, and international cooperation.
These activities directly support Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, particularly through scholarships and academic mobility, and Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals, through international research and institutional cooperation. They also contribute to the wider objectives of SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth and SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, particularly through discussions on future skills, innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable research.
Through continued engagement with African higher education institutions and the Indonesian Embassy, USU is committed to transforming initial discussions into concrete programmes, including student and faculty mobility, visiting professorships, joint research, scholarship promotion, and long-term institutional partnerships.