Tag: Universitas Sumatera Utara

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

The 9th ISJAI 2026 showed how Global South voices actively shape anthropology’s future. Nearly 300 scholars debated issues from agrarian resources, gendered ecologies, migration, and digital health to indigenous multi‑species relations and the decolonization of knowledge. By foregrounding pluriversal perspectives, the symposium decentered Western dominance and positioned Indonesia as a hub of intellectual exchange. The outcomes, collaborations, publications, and policy insights affirm anthropology’s need to remain inclusive, anticipatory, and responsive to the complexities of a multipolar world.

The symposium emphasis on pluriversality highlighted the recognition that multiple world coexist, each with distinct ways of knowing and living. By foregrounding perspectives from the Global South, ISJAI challenged the dominance of singular narratives from Western academic centers and created a space for solidarity across nations and disciplines. Participation spanned generations, with senior academics, emerging researchers, students, and practitioners contributing diverse insights. This inclusivity enriched debates with empirical experiences and methodological reflections, while fostering new collaborations between Indonesian and international institutions.

Held at Universitas Indonesia from 4-7 August 2026, the 9th International Symposiun of Jurnal Anthropology Indonesia gatherd nearly 300 scholars and practitioners from across the globe. With the theme “Pluriversal Futures in a Multipolarising World: Global South Perspectives,” the symposium underscored the urgency of plural epistemologies in confronting contemporary challenges. Keynote addresses by leading scholars; Prof. Amita Baviskar (India), Els Tieneke, Ph.D (Papua Indonesia), Prof. Li Xiaoyun (China), and Gideon Lasco, Ph.D (Philippines) provided conceptual anchors for discussions across 68 parallel panels, six book launches, and thirteen ethnographic film screenings. These sessions tackled issues ranging from political ecology, indigenous multi‑species, and gender to migration, digital health, and the decolonization of knowledge, reflecting the breadth of anthropology’s engagement with pressing global concerns.

As a result, 9th ISJAI 2026 not only facilitated the exchange of ideas but also produced tangible outcomes; collaborative research initiative, academic publication, and policy-relevant recommendation. The symposium thus stands as a milestone in advancing an anthropology that is inclusive, pluriversal, and responsive to the complexities of a multipolar world, while affirming Indonesia’s pivotal role in shaping global intellectual discourse. The concluding reflections emphasized two key points: pluriversal futures must be enacted as everyday practices, and multipolarity must be understood beyond geopolitics, extending into epistemology, methodology, and social life.

Notably, three faculty members of Social Anthropology Departmenent, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU); Dr. Dra. Sri Alem Br. Sembiring, M.Si and Dr. Zulkifli Lubis, M.Si in the panel “Addressing the Polyphonic Voices and the Increasing Complexity of Human Life: Developing Diverse Ethnographics Genre” and Dr. Wina Khairina, S.Sos., M.Si in the panel “Agrarian Resources and Pluralizing Sosial Reproduction” were selected as presenters. All three are lecturers in both the undergraduate (BA) and graduate (MA) programs in Anthropology at FISIP USU, underscoring the department’s active role in shaping contemporary anthropological debates.

Related Tags: Indonesia, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Universitas Indonesia

Ethnography can no longer be confined to documenting what is visible, it must also interrogate the opacity of social life, the silences that structure communities, and the refusals that resist incorporation into dominant narratives. This was the central argument raised in Panel 2.2, “Addressing the Polyphonic Voices and the Increasing Complexity of Human Life: Developing Diverse Ethnographic Genres,” at the 9th International Symposium of Jurnal Antropologi Indonesia (9^th ISJAI 2026), held at Universitas Indonesia, Depok, from 4–7 August 2026.

Presenting within the panel, Dr. Dra. Sri Alem Br. Sembiring, M.Si., a lecturer at the Department of Social Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), traced the genealogy of ethnography and proposed methodological openings for studying what remains hidden, withheld, or deliberately silenced in the circulation of knowledge within communities. Her presentation called for ethnographic genres capable of confronting polyphonic voices and the layered complexity of contemporary human life, rather than relying on established documentary conventions.

Situated within current anthropological debates on opacity, refusal, and the politics of representation, the panel’s discussion pointed toward a theoretical reconfiguration of ethnography, one that embraces incompleteness, acknowledges partial connections, and foregrounds the multiplicity of epistemic worlds. This orientation positioned ISJAI 2026 not only as a forum for academic exchange but as a site of epistemic provocation, opening new directions for a pluriversal anthropology attuned to the complexities of a multipolar world.

The panel was coordinated by Prof. Dra. M.A. Yunita Triwardani Winarto, M.S., M.Sc., Ph.D., and Dr. Iwan Meulia Pirous, S.Sos., M.A., and held during the symposium’s second-day parallel session. Dr. Sri Alem Br. Sembiring presented alongside fellow panelists Muhammad Zamzam Fauzanafi, Uus Faizal Firdaussy, Riri Kusumarani, Widjajanti M. Santoso, Yoshimi Nishi, Jesse Hession Grayman, and Al Chaidar Abdurrahman Puteh.

Themed “Pluriversal Futures in a Multipolarising World: Global South Perspectives,” 9^th ISJAI 2026 convened nearly 300 scholars and practitioners from a range of countries, with dozens of parallel panels, book launches, and ethnographic film screenings addressing epistemic plurality in an increasingly multipolar academic landscape.

Related Tags: Indonesia, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Universitas Indonesia

The Graduate School (SPs) of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), in collaboration with the Government of Dairi Regency, has officially signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) as a follow-up to a previously established Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This signing marks a strategic step in strengthening collaboration in education, research, community engagement, and human resource development in Dairi Regency.

The Regent of Dairi, Vickner Sinaga, emphasized that “regional progress is not only determined by physical development, but also by the quality of human resources.” For this reason, Dairi Regency seeks to establish a strategic partnership with the Graduate School of USU. He further explained that Dairi is currently facing challenges, including a budget reduction of approximately 30 percent from the central government. Despite this constraint, the local government remains committed to advancing both physical and non-physical development, placing education as a fundamental pillar.

Representing the Rector of USU, Vice Rector III, Prof. Himsar Ambarita, stated that USU carries a responsibility to continuously deliver tangible benefits for regional development, including in Dairi. Meanwhile, the Director of the Graduate School, Prof. Evawany Yunita Aritonang, expressed hope that the collaboration will enhance USU’s impact in promoting sustainable regional development.

The Principal Investigator of the Joint World Health Organization Western Pacific Region (WPR)/TDR Impact Grants for Implementation Research for Regional Priorities conducted an outreach and dissemination activity in Nias District, North Sumatra, Indonesia. The research project, titled “Integrating Cross-Sectoral Collaboration and Local Culture-Based Education: An Implementation Research for Soil-Transmitted Helminth Control in Nias District,” was introduced to the District Health Office and the District Education Office.

Led by Dr. Fotarisman Zaluchu from Universitas Sumatera Utara, and joined by team members from the Medan Public Health Laboratory Center, Bernike Ambarita and Ahadi Kurniawan, the research team visited three schools across two selected sub-districts. During these visits, the researchers engaged in discussions and provided explanations to parents of primary school students about the study. The activity continued with the distribution of stool sample containers for primary school children, aimed at identifying the presence of soil-transmitted helminth (STH) eggs.

This initiative reflects USU’s commitment to addressing local challenges while contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research is fully supported by the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) of USU, where the research team is based. The next phase of the project will involve culturally grounded educational interventions in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

Through the Medan Angkot Route Mapping pilot project, Dr Yovita Sabarina Sitepu mentors students from diverse academic backgrounds in promoting public transport that is sustainable, safe for women, and accessible to people with disabilities.

           Public transport is about more than simply travelling from one place to another. It also encompasses environmental sustainability, accessibility, safety, and every citizen’s right to adequate mobility services. This perspective underpins the involvement of Dr Yovita Sabarina Sitepu, S.Sos., M.Si., Head of the Communication Studies Programme at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), in mentoring the Medan Angkot Route Mapping pilot project.

Medan is one of six cities implementing the Future Leaders in Sustainable Transport (FIRST) program. FIRST is a training, mentoring, and pilot project support program for university students, initiated by the World Resources Institute (WRI) Indonesia and the Institute for Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Management (IREEM), and supported by UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions). From January to July 2026, five students representing Medan carried out the program under the guidance of Dr. Yovita Sabarina Sitepu, S.Sos., M.Si.

The five students come from various academic programs and universities, including the Architecture Program at the University of North Sumatra (USU). This interdisciplinary collaboration brings diverse perspectives to the analysis of public transportation issues, ranging from communication, urban planning, and the environment to user needs. This diversity serves as a strength in designing transportation solutions that are more inclusive and aligned with the characteristics of Medan’s community.

Throughout the programme, Dr Yovita guides the research process, evaluates the campaign, connects the team with relevant partners, and supports its field activities. She encourages the students not only to communicate their messages effectively but also to understand the experiences and challenges faced by people who rely on public transport.

The pilot project is carried out by Transgo Medan, a team comprising Muaz Al Fatah Fadhani, Zaky Atila C. Hutabarat, Putri Wadda Nabila, Amanda Wibowo, and Widya Suci Yulandari. The team promotes public transport through social media, conducts a mini field study during a Car-Free Day event, and develops a visual map of public minibus (angkot) routes across Medan.

These activities highlight the importance of developing a public transport system that is not only environmentally sustainable but also safe for women and accessible to people with disabilities. Clear route information, adequate supporting facilities, and safe and comfortable services are essential to encouraging more people to shift from private vehicles to public transport.

According to Dr Yovita, the initiative is particularly significant because student-led movements that engage directly with environmental issues remain relatively limited, especially those focused on raising public awareness.

“I hope that more people in Medan will recognise the importance of reducing carbon emissions. The government is also expected to support the provision of environmentally friendly transport facilities that are safe for women and accessible to people with disabilities,” said Dr Yovita.

Her mentorship demonstrates how universities can play an active role in addressing urban challenges. Through field research, digital campaigns, and interdisciplinary collaboration, students are not only extending their learning beyond the classroom but also helping to raise public awareness of sustainable mobility.

Guided by the spirit of “Connecting Roads, Easing Journeys,” the Medan Angkot Route Mapping pilot project is expected to mark an important first step towards a more informative, inclusive, and sustainable public transport system for everyone in Medan.

Anthropology has become an increasingly vital field in addressing today’s complex public issues. As many societal challenges intersect with public interests, there is a growing need for professionals who can analyze problems through an anthropological lens, respond effectively, and propose solutions that are both context-sensitive and socially acceptable. This perspective emerged during a meeting of founders and lecturers of the Master’s Program in Anthropology at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU). The discussion highlighted the strategic importance of anthropology in shaping inclusive and evidence-based policies. “We need graduates who are strong in research and critical thinking skills, capable of encouraging stakeholders to accept and implement more inclusive policies across various social arenas,” said Dr. Zulkifli Lubis, MA, a senior lecturer, when asked to share his views.

The meeting served as a final preparation for the launch of the Master’s Program in Anthropology, which is set to welcome its first cohort this year. The program aims to position itself within the global academic landscape by fostering collaboration and advancing public anthropology.

“We welcome collaboration in education and research. We are open to faculty and student exchanges with universities worldwide. We hope the values and core principles of public anthropology can contribute to global social science discourse,” said Dr. Fotarisman Zaluchu, Head of the Department. This year, the program has attracted dozens of applicants, reflecting a strong and growing interest in anthropology as a field of study.

Leading organizations within an academic environment presents a distinct set of challenges. The ability to make strategic decisions while maintaining the quality of graduates has become a key priority. In this context, leaders at the foundational level, namely Study Programs and Departments, are expected to act as drivers of knowledge transformation while simultaneously enhancing global reputation. This perspective was highlighted by Dr. Sri Alem Br. Sembiring, Head of the Undergraduate Program in Social Anthropology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, following a leadership briefing delivered by the Rector of Universitas Sumatera Utara, Prof. Muryanto Amin.

During the presentation on the university’s strategic direction, the Rector emphasized that USU has now entered the Era of  Ultimate Excellence. This milestone reflects a long journey over recent years and opens significant opportunities for further advancement in the future.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Master’s Program in Anthropology, Dr. Fotarisman Zaluchu, noted that new approaches are required in organizational management. He stressed the importance of adopting technological advancements, strengthening networking, and engaging with the industrial sector as part of institutional development.

The three-day leadership briefing was attended by hundreds of heads of Study Programs and Departments across Universitas Sumatera Utara.

The 1st International Conference on Population and Family Development (ICoPoF) 2026 underscored the critical role of social structures, particularly the family, in sustaining a nation’s future, with a special emphasis on Indonesia. This central theme emerged consistently throughout presentations and discussions during the conference. The event, held at the Universitas Sumatera Utara campus, was attended by more than 100 participants from various academic and professional backgrounds.

One of the participants, Nadya Fortuna Gunawan, a master’s student in anthropology, highlighted the importance of strengthening family institutions. She noted that in Indonesia, where the family remains a central socio-cultural unit, preparing and empowering families is essential for long-term national development. Reflecting on the conference, Nadya emphasized that socio-cultural values should be integrated into government programs aimed at achieving Indonesia Emas 2045. Inspired by the discussions, she expressed her intention to conduct field-based research as part of her academic projects in the anthropology master’s program.

The Master’s Program in Anthropology at Universitas Sumatera Utara, which welcomed its first cohort in 2026, is designed to strengthen research capacity. The program aims to produce graduates who are credible and competent in applying anthropological perspectives to public policy at both national and global levels. In addition to Nadya, the conference was also attended by Dr. Fotarisman Zaluchu, Head of the Master’s Program in Anthropology.