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Follow-up on USU–Toba Regency Government Collaboration: Promoting the Establishment of a Spoil Bank Regional-Owned Enterprise and Meat Village as a Zero Carbon Village

Published At

25 April 2025

Published By

Fenny Julistine Tarigan

Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), represented by the Vice-Rector for Research, Community Service, and Collaboration, conducted an official visit to the Toba Regency Government to discuss the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the Cooperation Agreement (PKS), as well as to explore further collaboration opportunities across the three pillars of higher education (education, research, and community service). The meeting occurred on Thursday, April 24, 2025, in the Expert Staff Meeting Room at the Toba Regent’s Office, Balige, North Sumatra.

 

The USU delegation was led by Prof. Dr. Apt. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, M.Si., Vice-Rector for Research, Community Service, and Collaboration. She was accompanied by Prof. Dr. Arida Susilowati, S.Hut., M.Si., Manager of Global Partnerships; Prof. Dr. Elisabet Siahaan, SE., M.Ec., Head of the Master’s Program in Property and Valuation Management; and Dr. Tulus Ikhsan Nasution, S.Si., M.Sc., Head of the Undergraduate Program in Physics. Representing the Toba Regency Government were Deputy Regent Drs. Audi Murphy O. Sitorus, SH., M.Si., along with other key officials, including the Head of Governance and Cooperation, Saut MT Sihombing, Expert Staff for Economic and Natural Resources Affairs, Head of the Environmental Office, Head of the Investment Office, and Head of the Legal and Cooperation Division.

Saut MT Sihombing opened the meeting, followed by remarks from Deputy Regent Audi Murphy. He emphasized the importance of strengthening collaboration with USU, particularly in developing research, human resource training, and applying innovation results. “In addition to discussing the draft agreement, perhaps we could also initiate knowledge transfer,” the Deputy Regent said. He expressed hope that the scope of collaboration could expand beyond education, research, and community service to more practical sectors that directly benefit the community.

 

Responding to this, Prof. Poppy affirmed USU’s openness to supporting human resource development for the Toba Regency Government, including providing flexible study options for civil servants pursuing a master’s degree at USU. “Our Master’s programs offer online learning, making it easier to adjust to work schedules,” she noted.

 

In the same forum, Dr. Tulus Ikhsan Nasution presented the results of USU’s community service project in collaboration with Inalum in Meat Village, Toba Regency. The initiative focuses on developing a Zero Carbon Village, which includes the installation of a 2,750-watt micro-hydroelectric power plant, constructing of a solar-powered information center, and producing compost using an automatic composter machine. “We hope this will gradually encourage the community to shift from inorganic to organic farming,” he stated. 

 

He also highlighted the village’s strong potential as a renewable energy site, noting solar radiation levels exceeding 20 kilolux and average wind speeds of 6 m/s—two critical indicators for alternative energy development.

 

 

Meanwhile, Prof. Elisabet Siahaan provided a technical explanation of a feasibility study project for establishing a Regional-Owned Enterprise (BUMD) to manage a Spoil Bank—an area designated for storing dredged river sediments. “An overfilled spoil bank can lead to environmental issues such as flooding and sedimentation. We propose a feasibility analysis for a BUMD that would not only manage this sediment as waste but also turn it into a source of local revenue for Toba Regency,” she explained.

 

Following the presentations and strategic discussions, both parties reviewed the content of the draft MoU and Cooperation Agreement. Ramaida Manurung, a Policy Analyst at the Toba Regency Government, read the document in detail.

 

The draft was jointly revised for editorial clarity, substantive alignment, and feasibility of the proposed cooperation. The Cooperation Agreement specifically addressed a partnership with USU’s Graduate School to conduct a feasibility study on establishing the Spoil Bank BUMD in Toba Regency.

The event concluded with a field visit to Meat Village in Balige, where the USU team inspected the outcomes of the community service programs, engaged with local youth, and expressed hopes for the village to grow as both a tourism destination and a pioneer in renewable energy-based rural development in North Sumatra.

 

 

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