30 January 2026
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The workshop was led directly by the Rector of Universitas Sumatera Utara, Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., and was attended by members of the university leadership, including the Director of the Directorate of Internationalization and Global Partnerships, Prof. Dr. Eng. Himsar Ambarita, S.T., M.T.; Vice Rector III, Prof. Dr. Apt. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, S.Si., M.Si.; faculty leaders; and representatives of work units across USU. The event also featured Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Abdul Haris as the main speaker.
In his opening remarks, the Rector of USU emphasized the importance of collective commitment from the entire academic community in improving the university’s ranking in a measurable and sustainable manner. He stated that international rankings are not merely numerical achievements, but reflections of governance quality, academic excellence, and the university’s contributions to society. “Improving university rankings must become a shared agenda with clear annual targets. This is not the task of a single unit, but an internal transformation process that requires consistency and cross-faculty collaboration,” said Prof. Muryanto Amin.
The workshop was also marked by the signing of a memorandum of understanding and the exchange of souvenirs as a symbol of USU’s strengthened commitment to building a global academic reputation. This was followed by a presentation from Prof. Abdul Haris entitled Building a Global Academic Reputation, which highlighted the importance of integrated strategies in addressing the key indicators of the QS and THE rankings.
In his presentation, Prof. Abdul Haris emphasized that universities need to position themselves as academic role models and benchmarks, both nationally and internationally. He also underscored the need to nurture students to become champions in their respective fields and to strengthen collaboration between lecturers and students across institutions. “A global reputation cannot be built instantly. It requires consistency in improving human resource quality, research excellence, and the strengthening of international academic networks,” he explained.
A number of strategic inputs were also discussed during the forum, including the readiness of all faculties in implementing the Developing Countries Partnership Program (KNB) and managing international students, particularly from the ASEAN region. USU was also encouraged to set targets for international student admissions, supported by an annual budget allocation of IDR 3 billion, and to promote the presence of student and foreign faculty ambassadors as part of efforts to enhance international reputation.
The Director of the Directorate of Internationalization and Global Partnerships at USU, Prof. Dr. Eng. Himsar Ambarita, emphasized that improvements in international rankings must be supported by strong and measurable academic networks. “Each lecturer is expected to have at least two international partners who serve as academic peers or QS correspondents. In addition, strengthening visiting professor programs and International Community Service (KKN International) is an essential part of USU’s internationalization strategy,” he stated.
The workshop also highlighted internal challenges, such as issues of disparity within public universities that may lead to mismatches between student and faculty competencies, potentially affecting institutional accreditation. Furthermore, improving the quality of academic journals and research, providing incentives for journal development, and identifying LPDP scholarship recipients to be encouraged to contribute back to the institution were key points of attention.
Through this workshop, USU reaffirmed its commitment to continuously strengthening internationalization governance in a systematic and sustainable manner. The outcomes of the discussions are expected to serve as a foundation for formulating university policies and strategic programs aimed at improving USU’s position in the QS WUR and THE rankings, while also reinforcing the university’s role in addressing both global and national challenges.
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