USU PR- The Faculty of Engineering (FT) at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) collaborated with the Indonesian Engineers Association (PII) and the Alumni Association (IA) of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) Regional Board (Pengda) North Sumatra to organize Engineering Talk Series #9, themed "Public Interest in the Energy Sector." The event occurred at the FT USU Auditorium on Friday (11/17/2023)

Engineering Talk is a Guest Lecture and Book Review event regularly organized by FT USU, featuring speakers from various fields. For this edition, Arcandra Tahar, PhD, Independent Commissioner of PT PLN Persero and author of the book 'Public Interest in the Energy Sector,' was invited as the speaker.

The dean of FT USU, Dr. Ir. Fahmi, S.T., M. Sc., and IPM, stated that they routinely invite special guests to bring new insights to the campus. Considering the need for interaction between the campus, practitioners, and industry experts, he hoped the event would provide a fresh perspective and enrich discussions.

"As we know, Mr. Chandra is an expert in the field of energy and has extensive experience both in practice and in government," said Dr. Fahmi.

The topics covered in the event were broad, involving issues such as electricity and mining. Arcandra Tahar, Ph.D., observed students' enthusiasm in asking questions related to renewable energy. He emphasized the importance of finding a balance between society's ability to pay for renewable energy tariffs and the desire of all parties to implement them.

"I try to write as a reminder for myself, some positive things and learning from this activity. Thus, today, I see a lot of enthusiasm from students," stated Arcandra.

Chairman of PII North Sumatra, Dr. Ir. Ahmad Perwira Mulia IPU, explained that this event was very interesting and beneficial, particularly in developing the technical capabilities of human resources in the engineering field in North Sumatra. As a member of PII in the North Sumatra region, one of their missions is to develop technical skills and competencies.

"If we were in Jakarta, maybe the resources would be better, so we can collaborate with all parties to significantly contribute to the nation and the country," clarified Dr. Ahmad.

Chairwoman of the ITB Alumni Association Regional Board North Sumatra, Siti Yulita Siregar, stated that alums are committed to contributing to society through the knowledge they gained during their university studies. They see that North Sumatra has enormous potential in terms of resources, and they hope that this potential can be utilized to assist the community further.

"But in North Sumatra, there is tremendous potential in resources, and we hope that it can be utilized to help the community," expressed Siti.

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Humas

Interviewee: - - -

Photographer: Muhammad Andriansyah - Humas