USU PR - Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) together with the University of Indonesia, Andalas University, Sam Ratulangi University and Lambung Mangkurat University signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Education, Research, and Community Service with the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs. The event was held through a hybrid manner on Wednesday, (1/19/2022).

Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki said cooperation with universities needed to be carried out to strengthen the economic structure of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Universities can prepare young entrepreneurs who will compete in the global market.

"We have to prepare future SMEs with young entrepreneurs who are ready to fight and ready to compete," said the minister.

For that, according to Teten, there needs to be a change in the conventional pattern of mentoring and training with incubation. Products in college incubators will create innovative business models.

"We are selected strictly so as to create superior products," he said.

Teten added that incubators on campus will be connected with higher education research by developing the potential and advantages of each region.

"With that, we will encourage SMEs to become a global industrial supply chain, become a provider of jobs, and support Indonesia to become a developed country in 2045," he said.

On the same occasion, USU Rector Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., said that this activity encouraged USU as a PTN-BH to produce products that could solve economic problems.

"USU is becoming a techno-sociopreneurship university, the research process and community service will involve industry to provide solutions for the Indonesian economy," said the Rector.

Dr. Muryanto added that there will be a continuation of technical and intense discussions, after this, with the ministry so that USU, the Medan City Government and the North Sumatra Provincial Government can strengthen the basis of business processes with SMEs.

“So that SMEs can enter the marketplace and have independent economic power. There will be a serious follow-up to developing SMEs in the local area but with international tastes," he said. (ULC)

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Irsan Mulyadi - Humas