home icon
search icon
menu icon
close
USU Official arrow_forward_ios Leader and Staff arrow_forward_ios Gallery arrow_forward_ios

USU and BPOM Collaborate on MBKM Scheme Through Safe Food Goes to Campus Program

Published At

02 January 2025

Published By

Sulisintia Harahap

Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) partnered with the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) to hold an Audience and Socialization Event for the "Safe Food Goes to Campus" (PAGC) program as part of the Independent Campus Learning (MBKM) platform. The event took place on Thursday (January 2, 2025) at the Academic Senate Room, 2nd Floor, Rectorate Building of USU.

The event was opened by Ikhsan Siregar, S.T., M.Eng., Director of the Educational Development Directorate at USU. In his opening remarks, Ikhsan expressed his appreciation for BPOM's support in promoting the implementation of the PAGC program at universities, emphasizing its role in enhancing students' competencies in critical areas like food safety.

“USU is committed to supporting programs like PAGC, which align with the goals of the Independent Campus Learning program. Through this collaboration, we hope students will excel academically and develop practical skills that meet the needs of partners and society,” said Ikhsan.

Ema Setyawati, S.Si., Apt., M.E., Director of Community Empowerment and Processed Food Entrepreneurs at BPOM, explained the program details. PAGC offers three participation schemes: 20 credits, 10 credits, and a Thematic Community Service Program (KKN-T). Each scheme aims to provide practical experience for students, ranging from field training to community-based activities.

“The primary goal of this program is to raise students’ awareness about the importance of food safety while enhancing their skills in managing related issues. However, we face challenges, such as bridging the gap between strong academic abilities and the need to improve practical skills,” Ema noted.

Responding to this, Prof. Dr. Apt. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, M.Si., Vice Rector III of USU, emphasized that USU has developed an internal selection mechanism to ensure that students participating in MBKM programs possess the required competencies.

“We fully support the establishment of clear competency requirements from our partners. This allows us to conduct targeted student selection processes internally,” said Prof. Poppy.

Ema also expressed optimism about the program's sustainability despite uncertainties regarding the continuation of MBKM at the national level. “This program is highly beneficial for both students and partners. Therefore, we remain optimistic about continuing this initiative regardless of MBKM's future status,” she added.

The event was attended by several USU officials, including Prof. Dr. Apt. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, M.Si., Vice Rector III of USU, and Prof. Dr. Eng. Himsar Ambarita, M.T., Director of the Directorate of Internationalization and Global Partnerships.

Through the PAGC program, BPOM and USU aim to produce a generation of young professionals skilled in managing food safety issues while strengthening collaboration between universities and external partners to support more relevant and practical education.

News

Find Other News