USU PR–Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) has established a collaboration with the University of Melbourne in Australia to discuss student exchange and staff mobility. This collaboration with the University of Melbourne will be the first for USU.

During his visit to the University of Melbourne, USU Rector Prof. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., said the exchange program for lecturers and students from USU to the University of Melbourne and vice versa will begin this year.

"USU will set requirements for students to study for one semester at UniMelb, and for lecturers, it will be prepared to improve collaborative learning/case study methods. In addition, UniMelb will also send lecturers and students to USU to study the themes of multiculturalism, tropical health, pediatrics, and mangroves," said Prof. Mury on Friday (Mar. 8) on the sidelines of his visit to Australia.

Prof. Mury explained that USU and UniMelb will start with an exchange program. After the lecturers and researchers commit, they can conduct joint research/publications.

"We also discussed the potential for holding a joint/double degree after forming an academic sphere between the two campuses," he said.

The Assistant Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the International University of Melbourne, Prof. Vedi, welcomed the collaboration with USU and assessed that the cooperation that will be carried out would be very good for both universities because the University of Melbourne is currently becoming an internationally cosmopolitan university.

"The University of Melbourne is also committed to developing study programs for international students with different cultural backgrounds. Therefore, the University of Melbourne is very open to starting cooperation with Universitas Sumatera Utara," he said.

The University of Melbourne is also interested in collaborating in tropical health and mangrove forest research, as explained by the USU Rector, because these two themes are priority research areas currently being developed. Prof. Vedi Hadiz also stated that he would send UniMelb students to USU. Therefore, a technical discussion of all requirements will be conducted between Ms. Julie Fam (Manager of International Partnerships UniMelb) and the USU team.

"We will also be very open to receiving invitations from Universitas Sumatera Utara to be guest lecturers or keynote speakers at seminars held by Universitas Sumatera Utara," said Prof. Vedi Hadiz.

Before visiting the University of Melbourne, the USU delegation attended the Asia Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE) conference and education exhibition in Perth, Australia, held from March 4-8, 2024. During the exhibition, USU offered the EQUITY program to several campuses in the APAIE region.

Prof. Mury said that this effort would positively impact the improvement of educational services at USU with international standards.