HUMAS USU - Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) held a ceremony to commemorate the 118th National Awakening Day (Harkitnas) in 2026. The ceremony took place solemnly at the courtyard of the USU Rectorate Building on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

Serving as the ceremony inspector, USU Rector Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., directly delivered the official speech of the Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia before all ceremony participants.

In the Minister’s speech delivered by the Rector, it was emphasized that national awakening is a dynamic process that is mutatis mutandis in nature. This means that the Indonesian nation must be able to adapt to the challenges of the times without losing its identity.

In addition, the speech invited all elements of the nation to have the courage to free themselves from the constraints of ignorance and backwardness in order to remain competitive on the global stage.

“National awakening is a dynamic process that is mutatis mutandis in nature, meaning adapting to the challenges of the times without losing identity and having the courage to break free from the shackles of ignorance and backwardness,” he stated.

This year’s National Awakening Day commemoration carried the theme “Safeguarding the Nation’s Future for National Sovereignty.” The theme represents the spirit of protecting the motherland by all elements of society and also emphasizes the importance of independence as a sovereign nation, where a country’s progress is not determined by assistance from other nations, but by the determination and resilience of its people.

“This theme also emphasizes the importance of independence as a sovereign nation. As conveyed by the founding fathers, a nation is not determined by the assistance of other countries, but by the strength of its people’s spirit,” he explained.

As a concrete manifestation of the mission of national independence, the government has expanded equal access to education and enacted Government Regulation Number 17 of 2025 concerning System Management Procedures as a real step toward improving digital literacy and protecting the younger generation.

In line with this vision, Lecturer of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences USU, Andi Pratama Lubis, S.S., M.Hum., in an interview expressed his full support for this commitment. He emphasized that youth are the pillar of a nation’s success. Therefore, the younger generation must continue to reflect and improve themselves in order to progress further and create meaningful impact.

“In my opinion, youth are the pillar of a nation’s success, and I hope young people continue to reflect on themselves so they can progress further and contribute positively to the nation,” he stressed.

He also added that universities play a very important role in managing such potential, particularly in advancing the nation’s intellectual development.

“Universities also have an important role in managing this potential, especially in advancing the intellectual progress of the nation,” he explained.