USU PR – The Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FEB USU), held the Corporate Gathering 2025 on Tuesday (02/12/2025) at the FEB USU Hall. The event was attended by 17 companies from various industrial sectors, ranging from banking and manufacturing to trade associations and air transportation, represented by company delegates and members of executive management.

The event was organized as a collaborative forum to strengthen relationships between the academic world and industry. In addition to open dialogue, the activity was filled with constructive discussions addressing industry competency needs as well as strategic steps in preparing FEB graduates as work-ready fresh graduates who are adaptive to change.

The Dean of FEB USU, Dr. Fadli, S.E., M.Si., officially opened the event. In his remarks, he emphasized the importance of applied learning in the era of technological disruption.
“The development of digitalization and artificial intelligence demands learning processes that are more relevant to industry needs. Direct involvement of companies becomes an essential foundation for curriculum refinement and the implementation of internationally standardized project-based learning,” he said.

Dr. Fadli also explained that the 17 companies present were new partners for FEB USU. This meeting is expected to continue with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the university and a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the faculty, particularly to support internship programs, training collaborations, and the involvement of industry practitioners as guest lecturers in FEB classes.

In line with this, the Vice Dean III of FEB USU, Dr. Paidi, S.E., M.Si., emphasized that corporate gathering activities are a strategic step in understanding company expectations of higher education graduates.
“The faculty must ensure student readiness in terms of curriculum, strengthening soft skills, and mental preparedness in order to respond to the dynamics of the business and industrial world,” he explained. He also expressed appreciation to all companies that attended and participated in sharing their perspectives.

During the interactive discussion session, company representatives outlined the skills currently most needed in the workplace. In addition to technical competencies, companies emphasized the importance of critical thinking skills, mental readiness, work character, and professional ethics as key factors for the success of new graduates.

Through the organization of Corporate Gathering 2025, FEB USU hopes to create a bridge that connects academic understanding with industrial dynamics while building a sustainable collaborative ecosystem. This synergy represents FEB USU’s commitment to producing graduates who are intellectually excellent, competitive, and capable of making meaningful contributions in the professional world.