MEDAN, April 8, 2026 — As a manifestation of its strategic vision toward The Era of Ultimate Excellence, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) officially announces the launch of an international academic event, The 1st International Conference on Population and Family Development (ICoPoF) 2026. The conference is scheduled to serve as one of the most comprehensive scientific forums of the year, examining the integration of population dynamics and family resilience within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The conference, which will be held at the Digital Learning Center Building (DLCB) of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) on July 16, 2026, reflects the urgency of synchronizing evidence-based policies amid increasingly complex global demographic fluctuations. Through its main theme, “Strengthening Population and Family Development to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” USU positions itself as a think tank bridging theoretical research with practical implementation at the governmental level.

As the world enters mid-2026, Indonesia and the global community face multidimensional population challenges—from declining birth rates in certain regions to the demands of the demographic dividend, which require improvements in human capital quality. ICoPoF 2026 is designed to address these anomalies through an interdisciplinary approach.

The Rector of Universitas Sumatera Utara, Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., emphasized that a country’s success in achieving the SDGs 2030 targets largely depends on how the smallest social unit—the family—is managed and empowered. “We can no longer view population merely as census statistics. Population is a dynamic entity influenced by technology, health, and economic policies. ICoPoF 2026 is here to provide sharper analytical tools for policymakers,” he stated.

This conference is particularly crucial as 2026 marks a significant transitional period for Indonesia in preparing for the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045. Comprehensive evaluation of adaptive population policies is required, especially in response to digital disruption and climate change—two key determinants of family development stability.

The technical significance of ICoPoF 2026 is strengthened by the participation of policymakers and international scientific experts. The conference is scheduled to be officially opened by ministers directly involved in human resource development in Indonesia.

Dr. Wihaji, S.Ag., M.Pd., Minister of Population and Family Development, is expected to present the roadmap for institutional transformation in Indonesia’s population sector, focusing on policy restructuring to accelerate stunting reduction and strengthen family economic resilience.

Meanwhile, Prof. Brian Yuliarto, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D., Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, will highlight the downstreaming of population research. The involvement of the ministry indicates that ICoPoF 2026 is oriented toward producing scientifically measurable outputs, where technological innovation can be applied to digital population services (e-government).

An international perspective will be enriched by the presence of Hassan Mohtashami from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), who will present global standards in addressing migration, urbanization, and reproductive rights. Academic collaboration is also strengthened through partnerships with institutions such as Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), represented by Dr. Saidatulakmal Mohd, and PES Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, India, represented by Dr. Gauri Sudhanwa Kopardekar. The participation of delegates from India and Malaysia provides strategic comparative insights, given the shared demographic challenges across South and Southeast Asia.

ICoPoF 2026 organizes its discussions into 20 thematic areas covering all aspects of population life. These topics are grouped into several key pillars:

• Health and Well-being Pillar: Covers population health systems, reproductive health, and aging population challenges, particularly relevant to increasing dependency ratios and the need for sustainable elderly care systems.
• Economic and Policy Pillar: Focuses on the relationship between economic policy and fertility trends, as well as the role of gender equality in inclusive family policies. Women’s labor force participation and family stability are key areas of analysis.
• Innovation and Environment Pillar: Examines the impact of climate change on population mobility and urbanization, as well as the use of digital innovation in delivering population services in remote areas.
• Social and Cultural Transformation Pillar: Analyzes the evolution of social and cultural norms in the digital era and their influence on modern family structures.

These topics extend beyond discussion and are required to generate solution-oriented proposals that can be incorporated into academic policy papers.

As an institution striving to enhance its performance in global university rankings (such as the QS World University Rankings), USU has set highly competitive output standards for participants in the Call for Papers. The conference offers integrated publication pathways with prestigious indexing:

• Scopus-Indexed Book Chapters: Selected papers will be published by Nova Publisher, providing global citation impact for researchers.
• Accredited National Journals (SINTA): Collaborations include journals such as Caring (SINTA 2), International Journal of Cultural and Art Studies (SINTA 3), as well as Psikologia, TROPHICO, and Politeia (SINTA 4).

This publication scheme ensures that ideas generated at ICoPoF 2026 achieve broad dissemination and are accessible to both the global academic community and field practitioners.

The organizing committee has established a strict timeline to maintain the quality of submissions. The submission period opened on March 1, 2026, with a deadline of May 30, 2026. The announcement of selected papers will be conducted transparently on June 1, 2026.

All registration processes, paper submissions, and accommodation information for out-of-town participants are managed through the Open Conference Systems (OCS) platform, accessible via the official link: https://ocs.usu.ac.id/ICoPoF/ICoPoF2026.

The conference is open to academics, interdisciplinary researchers, postgraduate students (Master’s and Doctoral levels), NGO practitioners, and policymakers working on population and family issues. Through ICoPoF 2026, Universitas Sumatera Utara reaffirms its role as an intellectual locomotive that not only educates but also actively shapes the future through research and global collaboration.