Login
Register

Tag: Indonesia

UNAIR holds ceremony for KNB recipients

Posted on by Universitas Airlangga News

Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) officially graduated four international students under the Developing Countries Partnership (KNB) Scholarship . The ceremony was held on Friday (August 21, 2026) in the Amerta Room, Rectorate Building, MERR-C Campus. Among this year’s graduates were four international students: Luxshika Tharmarajah from Sri Lanka, Fernando Sico Elo from East Timor, Mojeeb Abdo Abdullah Qasem from Yemen, and Faisal Aftab from Pakistan.

In his remarks, UNAIR Rector Prof Dr Muhammad Madyan MFin praised the students for their hard work, dedication, and every effort they had put into completing their studies. He noted that the KNB program was more than an academic scholarship, it also served as a bridge for strengthening friendship, cooperation, and understanding between nations.

“During your time here, you not only gained knowledge, but also became part of the larger Universitas Airlangga family, while helping maintain strong relations between Indonesia and your home countries,” he said.

Prof Madyan added that he hoped the knowledge, experience, and networks the graduates had built during their studies at UNAIR would equip them to make a tangible impact, both in Indonesia and around the world. He also thanked the KNB program, the graduate school, and everyone who had supported the graduates throughout their academic journey. “Congratulations as you begin your service in your respective fields as part of your life’s journey, and take pride in being part of the UNAIR family,” he said.

Faisal Aftab, one of the graduates, described his time at UNAIR as comfortable and rewarding. Beyond his coursework, he said, the experience allowed him to learn a new language and culture while getting to know Indonesia more closely. “At first, it was difficult because of the differences in language and culture. But once I started studying, I came to love how amazing Indonesian culture is,” he explained.

Aftab said UNAIR had helped turn his dream into reality, offering facilities and opportunities he had never had access to before. “I’m truly grateful for the chance to learn from such outstanding professors. I’ve been here for three years, but it still feels like I arrived only yesterday. Given another opportunity, I would come back to Indonesia, this country has given me so much hope and knowledge,” he added.

UNODC Training for Addiction Counsellors

Posted on by ritonga_86

The Social Welfare Study Programme at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of North Sumatra (FISIP USU), in collaboration with the North Sumatra Association of Addiction Counsellors (IKAI Sumut), successfully organised the Treatnet Volume A Addiction Counsellor Training. This strategically important event took place over five days, from 10 to 14 August 2026, on the FISIP USU campus. The training featured National Trainers and internationally certified facilitators from the UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) and the Colombo Plan as the main speakers. Through this intensive, globally standardised training, participants were equipped with in-depth clinical competencies and skills in the management and counselling of addiction.

The Head of the Social Welfare Studies Programme at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, USU, Fajar Utama Ritonga, S.Sos, M.Kesos, expressed his appreciation to IKAI SUMUT and UNODC for organising the training; According to him, this collaboration is greatly needed by various parties, including social workers specialising in drug abuse who, together with addiction counsellors, strive to rehabilitate victims of drug abuse in social rehabilitation centres. The main issue identified by research conducted in the field of social rehabilitation for drug abuse is sectoral egoism between the institutions responsible for social rehabilitation for addiction – namely the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) and the Ministry of Social Affairs – specifically the absence of social workers in the social rehabilitation centres run by the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) as its social rehabilitation service units. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Affairs has transferred all social workers specialising in drug abuse to social rehabilitation centres owned by the Ministry of Social Affairs or to Regional Technical Service Units. Sectoral ego must be eliminated, as social workers and addiction counsellors are like siblings in providing services within the field of social rehabilitation for drug abuse..

 

The event was also brought to a close by the Head of the National Narcotics Agency (BNN) for North Sumatra Province, Brigadier General Tatar Nugroho, S.I.K., S.H., M.H., who is the principal official responsible for combating drug trafficking at the source in North Sumatra Province. The collaboration we have built so far must be strengthened in the future between the academic community of the Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) – through the Tri Dharma of Higher Education – the Social Rehabilitation Institute and the North Sumatra Provincial National Narcotics Agency, so that together we can reduce the prevalence of drug abuse in North Sumatra, which has consistently ranked first amongst Indonesian provinces with the highest prevalence of drug abuse.

UNAIR student learns robotic surgery in Italy

Posted on by Universitas Airlangga News

Medical student from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR), Rizal Rachbini Mahlevi, had the opportunity to deepen his knowledge of robotic surgical technology in the Department of Urology at Ospedale Borgo Trento, Verona, Italy. The activity took place from July 27–31, 2026, as part of the student outbound program under the KKN Penyetaraan program through the Università degli Studi di Verona. The activity focused on learning about robot-assisted nephrectomy using the Da Vinci Xi robotic system. Through the program, Mahlevi gained experience observing the application of minimally invasive surgery in urological procedures, including kidney transplantation.

Mahlevi explained that his interest in urology was one of the reasons he chose to deepen his knowledge of robotic surgical technology. He noted that minimally invasive approaches have the potential to support faster patient recovery. “As technology continues to advance, surgical procedures are increasingly moving toward safer and minimally invasive approaches. These approaches benefit both patients and doctors by reducing surgical trauma and accelerating the recovery process,” he explained.

During the activity, Mahlevi joined patient visits to observe assessments and postoperative patient management, while also learning about robot-assisted surgery in kidney transplantation. He also had the opportunity to study laparoscopic mapping, the robot-assisted nephrectomy procedure, and the use of indocyanine green to assess renal tissue perfusion after transplantation.

According to Mahlevi, one of the key differences he observed while studying urology in Italy was the broader use of robotic technology. This provided healthcare professionals with more opportunities to develop their competencies in modern surgical technology. He hopes access to modern surgical technology in Indonesia can continue to be developed so that its benefits can reach more patients.

“I hope that the field of minimally invasive surgery in Indonesia can be further developed, both through enhancing the competence of medical personnel and expanding access to modern surgical technology,” he stated. As a closing statement, Mahlevi encouraged students who wish to join similar programs not to limit their learning to established systems. “Keep your curiosity alive, be willing to ask questions, engage in discussions, and seek new experiences. Make the most of every opportunity to build connections and broaden your knowledge as much as possible,” he concluded.

Reviews Social Welfare Curriculum

Posted on by ritonga_86

Social Welfare study programme at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), held a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) to revise its Outcome-Based Education (OBE) curriculum, bringing together alumni, employers, students and lecturers to help shape the programme’s graduate profile.

The FGD was held on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at the FISIP USU leadership meeting room. It was opened by Vice Dean for Academic, Student and Alumni Affairs Dr. Agus Suiadi, S.Sos, M.Si, and moderated by lecturer Randa Putra Kasea Sinaga, S.Sos, M.Kesos, with guidance from Head of the Social Welfare study programme Fajar Utama Ritonga, S.Sos, M.Kesos, and programme secretary Mia Aulina Lubis, S.Sos, M.Kesos.

Representatives from several government and social service institutions took part, including the North Sumatra Provincial Social Service, the Medan City Social Service, the Class 1 Correctional Supervision Agency (BAPAS) Medan, the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Sentra Bahagia, two regional technical service units for child and youth welfare, and the NGO Lembaga Fokus.

The programme first adopted Indonesia’s KKNI curriculum framework in 2017 before switching to an Outcome-Based Education (OBE) model aligned with the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (Independent Learning Independent Campus) policy in 2021. This year’s revision responds to Indonesia’s Higher Education, Science and Technology Ministry Regulation No. 10 of 2026, which amends 2025 rules on higher education quality assurance and places greater emphasis on connecting classroom learning with industry and the workforce.

Input gathered through the FGD and a Google Form survey was used to define the programme’s Graduate Profile and Graduate Learning Outcomes, aligned with standards recommended by the Indonesian Association of Social Welfare and Social Work Education (APKPSI). The process produced four graduate profiles: addiction social worker, social welfare/social work service programme manager, development companion for vulnerable groups, and social welfare researcher.

The revised curriculum also incorporates the Sustainable Development Goals into semester learning plans for individual courses, supporting the government’s Key Performance Indicator 12 (IKU 12). Of the 17 SDGs, the programme is focusing on Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 4 (Quality Education) and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

FISIP USU said the curriculum update is intended to keep the Social Welfare programme responsive to changes in the education sector and the needs of the social work profession.

 

UNAIR students learn bird conservation

Posted on by Universitas Airlangga News

Twelve Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) students participating in the International Belajar Bersama Komunitas (BBK) Program in Kuala Terengganu gained hands-on experience in birdwatching and citizen science at the SPAK Research Station, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), on Tuesday (28/7/2026). The activity introduced a biodiversity conservation approach that involves active community participation in collecting scientific data.

One of the participants, Kamila Mahfudza A P from the Faculty of Public Health (FKM) UNAIR, said the activity provided a new perspective on the connection between environmental conservation and public health. She added that hands-on learning in the field helped students better understand the importance of protecting biodiversity. “This activity broadened our understanding that conservation is not limited to researchers. Communities can also contribute through simple observations that support scientific research while raising environmental awareness,” Mahfudza said.

The activity was led by Anuar McAfee, who explained birdwatching as an activity that supports scientific research and ecotourism development while also providing physical and mental health benefits. Participants were also introduced to the eBird platform, which allows the public to record bird observations and contribute to biodiversity databases. “Seeing various species firsthand in their natural habitats was a truly memorable experience. We learned that simple data collected by the community can make a significant contribution to conservation efforts,” Mahfudza added.

Through the activity, students not only gained knowledge about citizen science-based conservation but also learned the importance of collaboration between universities and communities in protecting biodiversity.

International BBK Program provides a platform for students to learn best practices that can be adapted in Indonesia, including the development of community-based conservation and ecotourism through simple and participatory scientific approaches. “We hope this experience can inspire the development of community-based conservation activities in Indonesia while strengthening international collaboration in education and environmental conservation,” Mahfudza concluded.

Students explore local wisdom

Posted on by Stela Ingri Lorensia

Students of the Anthropology Study Program at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), are engaging in an in-depth exploration of local wisdom through the course Local Genius and Traditional Wisdom. Amid the rapid currents of globalization and advanced technology, students are encouraged to understand how past societies developed life wisdom grounded in everyday experiences.

 

The course highlights that local wisdom is not merely a cultural inheritance, but also a guiding framework for living. It encompasses harmony with oneself, with others, with the environment, with the broader community, and even with the spiritual relationship to God. These values are considered highly relevant in addressing the complexities of modern life.

 

As part of the learning process, students examine a case study of the Batak tradition known as Dalihan Na Tolu. Through interactive classroom discussions, they explore a kinship system that has evolved over centuries within Batak society in North Sumatra. The concept emphasizes the importance of maintaining balance and harmony in social relationships.

 

Beyond theoretical understanding, students are also challenged to apply local wisdom in real-life contexts. Using a Problem-Based Learning approach, they are tasked with formulating positive practices derived from traditional values to respond to contemporary social issues.

This learning experience is expected to shape students who not only understand culture, but are also capable of adapting local values into innovative solutions for today’s challenges.

Food Safety Jingle for Free Nutritious Meals

Posted on by Risanti

The Community Service Team from the Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FKM USU), introduced a jingle titled “Makan Bergizi, Makan Aman” (Nutritious Food, Safe Food) to help elementary school students learn about food safety while supporting the government’s Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program. The jingle was launched during a community service activity at UPT SD Negeri 064024, Medan Selayang.

The community service activity was led by Prof. Dr. Ir. Albiner Siagian, M.Si., together with Prof. Dr. Ir. Evawany Yunita Aritonang, M.Si., Risanti Situmorang, S.K.M., M.Sc., and Reni Novia, S.Gz., M.Gz., with the participation of students from the Nutrition Study Program. In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Ir. Albiner Siagian, M.Si., emphasized that the activity aimed to improve students’ understanding of food safety, particularly among students who are part of the target group for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program.

One of the highlights of the activity was the launch of the “Makan Bergizi, Makan Aman” (Eat Nutritious, Eat Safe) jingle as a fun way to deliver food safety messages. Risanti Situmorang, S.K.M., M.Sc., who wrote the lyrics, explained that the jingle uses a cheerful and easy-to-remember melody so that students can enjoy learning while becoming more familiar with food safety. The jingle is also completed with a simple dance that students can easily follow, making the messages easier to remember. She hopes that the song will help students remember simple food safety messages and put them into practice in their daily lives.

The activity is part of the FKM USU Community Service Team’s efforts to promote health and food safety among schoolchildren. It also supports the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 4 (Quality Education). 

Dance: Students Preserve Tradition

Posted on by Stela Ingri Lorensia

A group of undergraduate Anthropology students from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Sumatera Utara, has formed an arts collective named “Soul of Movement Anthropology.” The group was created as a space for artistic expression and cultural exploration among students. “We want to embody the spirit of dance because within dance there is a great deal of knowledge and wisdom that has been formed and preserved. Indonesia has such rich cultural diversity, and each culture generally has its own unique forms and designs of dance. This is what we want to study more deeply and further develop among the younger generation. Today, many young people do not realize that traditional dance is a form of local genius created by the ancestors of each ethnic group,” said Stela Ingri Lorensia Br Ginting, representing the group.

This group recently performed at the North Sumatra Arts Festival, presenting the Zapin Ketipung dance from the Malay cultural tradition. This dance features the ketipung as its central musical instrument. Rather than simply emphasizing fast movements, the performance conveys the character of Malay society, agile yet graceful, cohesive yet religious, joyful yet guided by rules. In every rhythmic step of the dancers, one could observe enthusiasm, warm smiles, and a strong sense of unity reflected through coordinated movements.

Stela added that the group intends to continue using dance as a medium of expression, ensuring that the spirit of movement is always accompanied by the wisdom embedded within it.

FISIP USU and Garuda TV Collaborate PKKMB

Posted on by mhdmayfazri

MEDAN – The Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) at University of North Sumatra (USU) brought a different experience to its New Student Campus Life Orientation Program (PKKMB) through a collaboration with Garuda TV.

Carrying the theme “Indonesia Punya Kamu, Connecting Generations,” the event was held at Smart Classroom A1.3, FISIP USU, on Friday (14/8/2026). One of the highlights was the Anchor Hunt program, which gave students the opportunity to explore the broadcasting industry and experience firsthand what it takes to become a professional news anchor.

The event brought together Garuda TV Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Fahmi M. Anwari, B.Eng., MBA, Head of the Master’s and Doctoral Programs in Communication Studies at FISIP USU Prof. Dr. Iskandar Zulkarnain, M.Si., as well as communication academic and practitioner Yuliandre Darwis, S.I.Kom., M.Mass.Comm., Ph.D.

Fahmi M. Anwari said the collaboration with the university was aimed at introducing students to the media industry through direct experience.

“Students have enormous potential to become part of the media ecosystem. Through this collaboration, we want to give them an opportunity to experience the broadcasting world firsthand and understand how information is packaged and delivered to the public,” Fahmi said.

He emphasized that becoming a news anchor involves more than simply speaking in front of a camera.

“Being an anchor is not merely about speaking in front of a camera. It requires communication skills, strong knowledge of the information being delivered, confidence, and responsibility for every message conveyed to the public,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Iskandar Zulkarnain viewed the collaboration between FISIP USU and Garuda TV as an opportunity to bridge academic knowledge and professional practice.

“Students need experiences that connect what they learn in the classroom with realities in the field. The involvement of media practitioners provides a different perspective and makes the learning process more contextual,” Iskandar said.

He added that the partnership could be expanded beyond the PKKMB program.

“We see this collaboration as the beginning of a broader synergy. In the future, it can be developed not only through student activities, but also through research, academic discussions, and other programs that connect the needs of universities with developments in the media industry,” he said.

Communication academic and practitioner Yuliandre Darwis said the hands-on experience provided through the Anchor Hunt program could help students understand the importance of effective communication when delivering information to the public.

“A news anchor must be able to understand the information, recognize the audience, and deliver messages in a way that is clear and easy to understand. These skills cannot be fully developed through theory alone. They require direct practice and experience,” Yuliandre said.

The former Chairman of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) Central for the 2016–2019 period also highlighted the growing opportunities for young people to participate in the media industry.

“Today’s young generation is not only a consumer of information but also has the opportunity to become an information producer. Therefore, journalism skills, communication abilities, and media literacy are increasingly important,” he said.

Through Anchor Hunt, students were also introduced to the opportunity to become part of Garuda TV’s Citizen Journalist program. The initiative provides students with opportunities to contribute information from their surrounding communities while developing practical journalism skills.

The collaboration also opens opportunities for Master’s and Doctoral students in Communication Studies at FISIP USU to participate in future academic and research collaborations with Garuda TV.

Iskandar said the involvement of postgraduate students could become part of a more substantive partnership between academia and the media industry.

“Master’s and Doctoral students have the capacity to develop deeper academic studies. Therefore, we are open to developing research collaborations and other activities that can provide value for both institutions,” he said.

Yuliandre added that bringing academics, students, and media practitioners together could create a valuable exchange of knowledge and experience.

“The media industry needs academic perspectives, while academics and students also need insights and experiences from the industry. Bringing these two sides together can create more relevant and sustainable collaborations,” he said.

The collaboration between FISIP USU and Garuda TV through the PKKMB program therefore went beyond a conventional campus orientation activity. It provided students with an opportunity to interact directly with media practitioners, experience the role of a news anchor, understand the media production process, and explore opportunities to contribute as citizen journalists.

Through the spirit of “Indonesia Punya Kamu, Connecting Generations,” the program emphasized that young people have an important role to play in shaping the future of communication and media, whether through professional careers, academic research, or producing meaningful information for society.

USU Fieldwork: Whose Bias Counts as Data?

Posted on by Sri Alem Br. Sembiring

Eight srudents from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), with one field coordinator and two faculty supervisors, completed a 12-day social mapping fieldwork in North Tapanuli District, the first of two planned phases presenting findings on August 15, 2026, at the Department of Sociology, FISIP USU. The session, run with a private partner that requested anonymity, confronted a question fieldwork training rarely addresses: how a researcher’s background shapes the data respondents share.

The discussion opened with a question from Dr. Muba Simanihuruk, M.Si (Department of Sociology): “What was your impression after finding that some respondents’ expenditures were, on average, higher than their income?” Rather than treating this as an error, the supervisors used it to prompt reflection on the students’ own positioning. Drawn from both sociology and anthropology, their backgrounds varied: one was from the same regency but a different subdistrict, others were ethnically Toba but not native to the villages studied, some of Nias descent, and several raised in Medan or Nias. Whether that mix shaped what respondents disclosed is itself one of the questions the second phase is designed to test.

As field assistants, students described building rapport quickly, navigating language barriers, and overcoming distrust, reframed not as biases to suppress but as reflexivity: a researcher’s identity shapes what a respondent reveals, making it part of the data, not noise to filter out. This extended to fieldnote practice. Dr. Dra. Sri Alem Br. Sembiring, M.Si (Department of Social Anthropology) asked whether students had transcribed every exchange in full verbatim, or selectively recorded only what they deemed relevant. One said, “I only kept what was directly related to the topic; I deleted the jokes.” Another student said, “I wrote down some of the jokes, but I decided for myself which ones were important.” The split answers left an open question: how much of what was left unrecorded was a deliberate judgment, and how much simply disappeared. Responding directly to that gap, Dr. Sembiring said: “to anticipate that weakness, phase two will include further in-depth interviews, complete verbatim fieldnotes, and a Focus Group Discussion that emphasizes the seasonal calendar and livelihood cycle.” Facilitated by the same students, the FGD will map livelihood sources and seasonal rhythms rather than ask directly why spending exceeds income, functioning, alongside the interviews, as triangulation for what phase one’s data could not settle. This processes could capture comprehensive data reflecting economic life cycles of local communities.

Supervisors emphasized the issue as said this matters most for mixed methods design. Quantitative finding can flag an anomaly. Complete verbatim data explains them. Supervisors summed up the lessons as reflexive validity: researches awareness of potential bias in data acquisition, recognition of researcher presence shaping respondent and key informant articulation. Dr. Sembiring reaffirmed the discussion by citing Crane and Angrosino’s Field Projects in Anthropology: A Student Handbook (3rd-Edition, 1992), “an informant may end up telling the researcher only what seems expected, particularly when aslo serving as interpreter.”

Related Tags: Indonesia, Universitas Sumatera Utara