Public Relations USU - Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) held a National Education Day (Hardiknas) 2025 Commemoration Ceremony, which carried the spirit of "Universal Participation Realizing Quality Education for All". This activity is a reflective moment for the entire academic community to review the direction and meaning of education in an era that continues to change. It took place in the courtyard of the USU GBPA, on Friday (2/5/2025).

The mandate of the Minister of Education, Research, and Technology, read by the Rector of USU, Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Sc., emphasized that the number of reports or output data no longer measures education. According to him, real education impacts humans, society, the environment, and the progress of civilization.

"Education is not just about numbers and data, but about results that can change lives," quoted Prof. Muryanto when reading the minister's mandate.

The USU rector also emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration in successful educational transformation. The five transformation focuses initiated include changing the learning paradigm, increasing research that answers challenges, downstream innovation, strengthening governance, and establishing a sustainable education ecosystem.

"Education transformation cannot happen alone. We need cross-sector collaboration to realize the five main focuses," he continued.

USU Vice Rector I, Prof. Dr. Edy Ikhsan, S.H., M.A., emphasized that this year's Hardiknas theme is relevant to the needs of the times. According to him, the Hardiknas momentum is not just an annual ceremony, but an invitation to continue to evaluate the quality of teaching and scientific contributions to society.

"Education is no longer just about output, but how much impact it has on life. This is an important reflection, especially for higher education," said Prof. Edy.

USU Vice Rector I also emphasized that all campus elements, especially students, must be active in the education process, not only in the classroom, but also through social activities and self-development. Furthermore, Prof. Edy hopes USU students will maintain their commitment to educational values, respect knowledge, and uphold ethics.

"Students must be ready to become agents of change. It is not enough to pursue a high GPA, but also need to build strong character and interpersonal skills," he said.

With the echoing spirit of Hardiknas, USU confirms itself as a garden of ideas and civilization—a place where intellectual seeds grow, not only to achieve but also to have integrity. Education is the path to meaning, producing scholars and forming people ready to ignite the light of change.