USU PUBLIC RELATIONS – As part of the U25 Leaders Forum for Legal Entity State Universities (PTN-BH) at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), issues of violence, mental health, and inclusivity emerged as important areas of focus in strengthening the higher education ecosystem. These issues require collective efforts through policy alignment and stronger coordination among universities. The forum was held at the Digital Learning Center Building (DLCB) on Thursday–Friday (October 15–16, 2026).

Prof. dr. Ova Emilia, M.Med.Ed., Sp.OG(K)., Ph.D., Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), said that establishing task forces is one of the collaborative measures taken by PTN-BH to address issues of violence, mental health, and inclusivity in higher education institutions. Discussions on these issues had been held since three months before the forum and were followed up through the workshop that had been conducted.

“There was a kind of workshop yesterday to provide more detailed discussion and operationalize how it would be implemented and how cooperation among PTN-BH could be carried out. This way, we can have the same platform and the same policies, share with one another, and ultimately reduce and mitigate these issues,” she said.

Furthermore, Prof. Ova explained that the competitiveness of higher education institutions is not only related to institutional achievements but also to the impact they create. Such impact is generated through the implementation of the tridharma of higher education, namely education, research, and community service.

“When we talk about competitiveness, especially in relation to the mission of higher education today, it is about impact. And that impact is related to the quality of education, the quality of research, and the quality of community service.”

Strengthening a safe and inclusive educational ecosystem and improving the international competitiveness of higher education institutions were also key concerns discussed at the forum. Competitiveness is closely linked to the ability of higher education institutions to improve the quality of education, research, and community service so that their impact can be felt by the wider public. Therefore, innovative strategies are needed to address various global challenges in higher education.