USU PR- On Thursday, January 11, 2024, the International Affairs Office (IAO) of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) held a sharing session on the technical aspects of the IISMA 2024 application process. The event was held online via Zoom.

The session included a presentation on the technical aspects and mechanisms of the IISMA selection process, an explanation of the documentation requirements for the IISMA 2024 application, and a sharing session with IISMA 2022 awardees.

In good news, USU Vice Rector I for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Alumni Dr. Edy Ikhsan, S.H., M.A., announced that the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) has increased the IISMA 2024 scholarship quota. This year, 3,000-3,300 students will be eligible to participate, and there will be 140-150 partner universities in 30 countries.

“If we look back at last year, we only got 9 seats, so if we can get at least 1% of the total quota this year, it will be a leap for us,” said Dr. Edy.

Dr. Edy Ikhsan, S.H., M.A., further explained that the IAO, together with all staff from the Directorate of Educational Development and the Directorate of Global Partnerships, has conducted an initial listing to assess the basic potential of students. Approximately 500-600 students have registered and undergone verification based on their capacity and English language proficiency.

“Of that number, 50% of applicants have the opportunity to be accompanied to the next stage of the IISMA 2024 application process,” said Dr. Edy.

USU IAO Head Prof. Dr. Rudy Sofyan, S.S.., M.Hum., stated that participation in IISMA is very low. Data shows that of the 580 students who registered, only more than 300 people attended the socialization, and only 137 students were able to achieve an English language score above 500. This is a concern, especially since the target participation this year is double last year's.

“This is a concern for the parents of each faculty, because the IISMA application process is getting shorter, starting two months earlier due to the earlier departure of some campuses,” said Prof. Rudy.

Finally, Prof. Dr. Rudy Sofyan, S.S., M.Hum., explained that the IISMA application process for students is individual. The IAO only provides recommendations to prospective awardees who submit applications. Therefore, the IAO conducts an internal selection that is carried out by the university following certain standards. Therefore, it is very important to comply with the IISMA 2024 requirements to maintain the quality of participants involved in the program.

“The university's IAO will reprimand students who do not meet the requirements but register. So we all need to pay attention to the IISMA 2024 requirements,” said Prof. Rudy.