USU Public Relations - The Western Region State University Cooperation Agency (BKS-PTN) Annual Meeting (RATA) which was held on Thursday - Sunday, November 17-20, 2022 at the Niagara Parapat Hotel, North Sumatra was successfully held. The meeting with the annual program report agenda also selected and decided on the Rector of the Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos, M.Si., as Chair of the Western Region BKS-PTN for the 2023-2025 period and resulted in a joint agreement that the West BKS-PTN would strengthen collaboration so that PTNs in Indonesia have equal power.

West BKS-PTN is committed to building and strengthening collaboration between tertiary institutions so as to create useful innovations for the country. Collaboration will also allow universities in the West to fill each other's deficiencies, and encourage each other for progress so that the universities that are members of the West BKS-PTN have equal strength in all fields.

Chairperson of the Western Region BKS-PTN for the 2021-2023 period who is also Rector of Ageng Tirtayasa University (Untirta) Prof. Dr. H. Fatah Sulaiman, S.T., M.T., thanked USU for hosting the activity which was held in the middle of the Lake Toba tourist attraction so that it made a special impression on the participants.

The RATA BKS-PTN of Western Region itself was attended by rectors from 38 tertiary institutions from the western region, namely Syiah Kuala University, Medan State University, Riau University, Andalas University, Padang State University, Jambi University, Sriwijaya University, Lampung University, Tanjungpura University, Bengkulu University, Padang Panjang ISI, Palangka Raya University, Jakarta State University, Malikussaleh University, Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta.

IPB University, University of Indonesia, UIN Sultan Syarif Kasim Riau, Raja Ali Haji Maritime University, Bangka Belitung University, Teuku Umar University, UIN Raden Fatah Palembang, UIN Ar-Raniry, Sumatra Institute of Technology, ISBI Aceh, Samudra University, Defense University, University Siliwangi, Singaperbanga University, Jakarta National Veterans University, UIN North Sumatra, Jakarta Open University, IAIN Batusangkar, and the Indonesian University of Education.

The RATA BKS-PTN of Western Region activity itself began with a seminar entitled "New Policy in the Independent Pathway New Student Candidate Selection Program" which was presented by Acting Director General of Higher Education Prof. Ir. Nizam, MSc, DIC, PhD, IPU, Asean Eng., represented by Plt. Director of Learning and Student Affairs Dr. Ir. Sri Gunani Partiwi, M.T.

Then it was continued with the seminar "Strengthening Higher Education Ecosystem Integrity" presented by the Deputy for Education and Community Participation of the KPK RI Wawan Wardiana represented by the Head of Education Network Empowerment Task Force Jermia Djati which was conducted offline, as well as the seminar "The Need for HR Profiles for the Growth of the Digital Industry in Plantation" which was explained by the Main Director of Nusantara Plantation Holding PTPN III Dr. Abdul Ghani, M.Sc.

The meeting resulted in several recommendations, namely improving the self-selection system which would collaborate with the Consortium of Higher Education in Eastern Indonesia, and the Council of Rectors of Indonesian State Universities. In addition, support for the implementation of strengthening the ecosystem integrity of state universities was also declared as a form of transparency and accountability for higher education academic services. (©ULC)

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Irsan Mulyadi - Humas