USU PR - The Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) hosted a public lecture themed “Building a Sustainable Financial Future for Students: Contributions and Opportunities for Food Downstreaming in the Financial Ecosystem”. The event, which was held at the Prof. Dr. Suhadji Hadibroto Hall, presented the Director of Institutional Banking of PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, Munadi Herlambang, as the main speaker. On Tuesday, (11/26/2024).

 

In his remarks, USU Rector Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., emphasized the importance of financial literacy for students as a young generation who will be in control of the future economy. According to him, students often face challenges in managing finances, both for daily needs, education costs, and other activities. Therefore, an understanding of financial literacy is considered an important key to creating financial stability.

 

“We are very grateful to BNI for their initiative in facilitating this very relevant activity. Students need to understand personal financial management, wise investment, and the concept of financial sustainability so that they are not only ready to face economic challenges, but also able to build a stable and sustainable future,” said Prof. Muryanto.

 

Furthermore, the USU Rector mentioned that good financial management should include an understanding of environmentally friendly investments, wise debt management, and early retirement planning. The USU Rector also revealed that USU is ready to open more opportunities for cooperation with BNI. Including internship programs, scholarships, and mentoring for student startups through BNI Ventures.

 

“This collaboration does not only stop at public lectures, but also includes internship programs, scholarships, and mentoring for student startups through BNI Ventures. This all aims to create a comprehensive campus financial ecosystem,” he explained.

 

In line with this, Munadi Herlambang explained BNI programs designed to improve the financial literacy of USU students, especially related to personal and business financial management. He underlined the importance of financial education, especially in the digital era, so that students can manage their finances productively.

 

“In addition to literacy, we provide financial education through various programs. We teach students how to face the digital era, take advantage of investment opportunities, and use financial instruments to organize their future,” Munadi explained.

 

Wonder application is one of BNI's innovations designed to help students organize their expenses and income. This application has a data analytics feature that allows users to categorize expenses based on primary, secondary, and tertiary needs. In this way, students are encouraged to be more productive and not consumptive.

 

Through this activity, BNI shows its commitment to improving financial literacy among the younger generation. Programs like this are expected to provide students with provisions to face increasingly complex economic dynamics. This public lecture event is a clear proof of collaboration between the world of education and the banking industry in building a generation that is aware of the importance of healthy and sustainable finance.