USU PR - In the Penta Helix Focus Group Action (FGA) Talkshow, Waste Management and Product Innovation to Overcome Stunting and Accelerate Extreme Poverty Alleviation in North Sumatra, Training and Exhibition, Vice Rector IV for Information, Planning, and Development of the Universitas Sumatera Utara Prof. Dr. Drs. Opim Salim Sitompul M.Sc represented USU Rector Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin S.Sos., M.Si at the event. The event, which also collaborates with the Public Administration Study Program of the USU Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, took place at the Raja Inal Siregar Hall on Thursday (24/08/2023).

USU Vice Rector IV for Information, Planning, and Development Prof. Dr. Drs. Opim Salim Sitompul M.Sc delivered his remarks in the Penta Helix FGA, the implementation of this event is one of the strategic steps in collaborating and contributing to overcoming social problems in society such as stunting, waste, and extreme poverty.

“The organization of the talk show today is one of the most important and strategic steps in USU's efforts to collaborate and contribute with many parties in overcoming social problems in the community of North Sumatra, especially in overcoming extreme poverty alleviation.”

Vice Rector IV USU emphasized that this activity is not just a discussion but the implementation of real action. The Universitas Sumatera Utara which is an educational institution that has given birth to many Indonesian researchers and community service research is expected to take a role as a driving force and collaborate with other stakeholders.

“Usu's role is very important because USU is the source. Indonesian researchers community service research, so we are the driving force, so we must be able to work together with other stakeholders. The focus group is action, not just discussion.”

Seeing social problems in the community, the Head of the Environment and Forestry Service of North Sumatra Province, Ir. Yuliani Siregar, M.AP expects real cooperation to overcome pollution problems. Industries will also be given socialization to manage waste so that Medan City is clean from pollution.

“Mr. the head of the department, maybe later we can work together further as to how this terrain can be cleaned from garbage and our rivers clean from pollution. Maybe here we also need an emphasis on domestic waste management, whereas from hotels, maybe we will socialize with each other. The hotel's waste should not be directly discharged into the river but should be managed first.”

Head of the Medan City Environment Agency, Dr. Suryadi Panjaitan, M.Kes, Sp.PD, reemphasized the importance of environmental issues because they can cause disruption to the daily balance of the environment. Regarding stunting, Medan City has also prepared a budget to reduce the stunting rate.

“This causes a big problem, namely the disruption of the daily balance of the environment. Of course, we are trying to continue to improve waste management better.”

“We are faced with the problem of stunting. A condition that makes children's growth and development slower than their age. We convey that Medan City has prepared a budget to reduce the stunting rate.”

The Chief Executive of the Penta HelixFGA Talkshow, Dr. Muhammad Sontang Sihotang, S.Si., M.Si, hopes that through this socialization event, product innovation can be one of the program plans to improve the productive economy. All planned programs will certainly be realized if 5 stakeholders, such as academics, industry, government, media, and society, can work well together.

“We make product innovation manageable, a lot of time is wasted not productive economy. So with the existence of a system or pattern like this that we will build in North Sumatra, we provide an output outcome that can become a product. The first 5 stakeholders are academics, industry, society, media, government,” he said.

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Public Relations

Interviewee: Prof. Opim Salim - Vice Rector IV

Photographer: Amri Simatupang - Public Relations