USU Public Relations - The Agribusiness Program of the Faculty of Agriculture (FP) at the Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) held an Alumni Gathering titled "Celebrate The Pass, Embrace The Present, and Build the Future." The event took place at the Cambridge Hotel Medan on Saturday (Jan. 20, 2024).

This Alumni Gathering serves as a meeting for alumni and is one of the university's efforts in the ongoing process of transforming education towards internationalization, which is currently a focus of USU to bridge the gap between education and the workforce.

Dean of FP USU, Dr. Ir. Tavi Supriana, M.S., expressed that support from alumni is crucial in achieving international accreditation. This is aimed at fulfilling Institutional Performance Indicators (IKU), a university focus that aims to gain broader international recognition.

"International accreditation requires support from alumni. USU's IKU 8 was once marked in red due to the lack of international accreditation. I strongly support the Agribusiness program in obtaining international accreditation," said Dr. Ir. Tavi Supriana, M.S.

The Head of the Agribusiness Program at FP USU, Dr. Rulianda Purnomo Wibowo, S.P., M.Ec., stated that several criteria must be met to achieve international accreditation, including improving learning standards, human resources, and facilities.

"The first is the improvement of the curriculum, lesson plans, and course mat

erials that can meet the curriculum. Additionally, there should be improvements in human resources and facilities that support meeting the standards set by international accreditation," said Dr. Rulianda Purnomo Wibowo, S.P., M.Ec.

Alumni, as practitioners, can provide insights into the gap between education and the workforce. Therefore, Dr. Rulianda Purnomo Wibowo, S.P., M.Ec., mentioned that through alumni involvement, the program can gain a deeper understanding of how to create more relevant learning standards and work towards international accreditation.

"Because alumni are graduates who have worked in various fields, practitioners who have applied knowledge, we can understand the gap between what has been learned and the industrial world. The role of alumni is crucial to determine whether the curriculum implementation is in line with the industrial world or not," said Dr. Rulianda Purnomo Wibowo, S.P., M.Ec.

Furthermore, Dr. Rulianda Purnomo Wibowo, S.P., M.Ec., conveyed that in the EQUITY program at USU, alumni contributions can strengthen the university's internationalization. The goals of internationalization and EQUITY are to ensure that USU graduates have strong competitiveness in the future.

"In EQUITY, the role of alumni is very important, both in improvement and international accreditation. EQUITY is an excellent program that can meet international standards expected by the industrial world, so our graduates have greater competitiveness," said Dr. Rulianda Purnomo Wibowo, S.P., M.Ec.

Wasudewan, S.P., M.M., an alumnus of the Agribusiness Program at FP USU who also received the Alumni Award at this Alumni Gathering, mentioned that many competencies acquired by alumni in the workforce can be taught on campus, accelerating the productivity of graduates when entering the workforce.

"Earlier, one fact pointed out by Mr. Ruli, only 38% of alumni work within a period of less than 5 months, quite a lot, even more than 50% work after 6 months. So perhaps there needs to be a bridge between the world of work and the world of education. Here, alumni become the bridging," said Wasudewan, S.P., M.M.

Therefore, Wasudewan, S.P., M.M., hopes that this Alumni Gathering can be the first step for alumni to collaborate with the study program and contribute to improving learning, especially to address the gap between education and the workforce and to achieve USU's internationalization.

"From the program's perspective, it must be able to accept aspirations and also see more deeply how our alumni can work faster. For alumni, it might be time to return to campus to contribute, not just time, effort, or what can be done, but more thinking. So how can alumni and the world of education synergize," hoped Wasudewan, S.P., M.M.