21 April 2026
Raisha Andini
Medan, April 20, 2026 — Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) held a coordination meeting with Jagatara to discuss plans for establishing a strategic partnership aimed at accelerating national halal certification. The meeting was conducted online via Zoom and involved various stakeholders within the halal ecosystem.
Representatives from Jagatara attending the meeting included the Operational Director of LPH NF Jagatara, Mujianto Wiji; the Chairman of the Indonesian Halal Companion Association, Subhan Wijaya; and the Chairman of Jagatara, Edy Koesriadi. Meanwhile, the Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) was represented by the Director of the Directorate of Cooperation and Internationalization, Prof. Dr. dr. Dewi Masyithah Darlan, DAP&E., MPH., Sp.Park; the Head of the Halal Inspection Agency (LPH) USU, Prof. Dr. Ir. Elisa Julianti, M.Si.; and the Secretary of LPH USU, Dr. Irwana Nainggolan, M.Sc.
The meeting specifically discussed plans to establish a cooperation agreement between Jagatara and USU in supporting the halal certification process through the Jagatara Halal Study Center. The discussion also covered potential collaboration in laboratory services and halal product inspections, in line with Jagatara’s current role as a halal companion transitioning into a halal supervisory body.
During the session, it was highlighted that the government has set a target of certifying 3.5 million businesses and 10 million products by 2026. Jagatara itself aims to handle up to 300,000 certifications, necessitating support from multiple stakeholders, including higher education institutions. Discussions also included plans for laboratory partnerships, halal auditor training, and broader collaboration in capacity building and academic research. Cross-institutional collaboration among Jagatara, the Indonesian Halal Companion Association, and the USU Halal Study Center was also identified as a key focus in strengthening the halal ecosystem.
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As a follow-up, USU will coordinate with its Integrated Laboratory to explore opportunities for halal product testing collaboration and further discuss the technical mechanisms for laboratory cooperation with Jagatara. All parties agreed to schedule a follow-up meeting to elaborate on the implementation of the partnership, including laboratory utilization, auditor sharing, and the operationalization of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
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In addition, plans for joint activities related to the mandatory halal campaign scheduled for October 2026 were discussed, including coordination with various stakeholders across North Sumatra.
Chairman of Jagatara, Edy Koesriadi, emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration to achieve national halal certification targets.
“We see the Universitas Sumatera Utara as having strong potential, particularly through its Halal Study Center and laboratory capabilities. This collaboration is expected to accelerate the halal certification process in line with the government’s 2026 targets. Jagatara is ready to transform from a halal companion into a halal supervisory body, and this partnership with USU is a strategic step to strengthen that capacity,” he stated.
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Meanwhile, the Head of the Halal Inspection Agency (LPH) USU, Prof. Dr. Ir. Elisa Julianti, highlighted USU’s commitment to supporting the acceleration of halal certification through capacity building and research.
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“USU welcomes this collaboration initiative as a tangible contribution of higher education institutions in supporting the acceleration of national halal certification. Moving forward, we will optimize the potential of the USU Integrated Laboratory to support halal product testing, while also strengthening halal auditor training and academic research,” she explained.
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