Public Relations USU—The Faculty of Agriculture at the Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) established a strategic collaboration with the JHL Group by signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Thursday (03/13/2025) in the Soeratman Hall of FP USU. This collaboration includes scholarships and research development in the agricultural sector, and it aims to produce 1,000 graduates in the next five years.

 

The Dean of FP USU, Prof. Dr. Ir. Tavi Supriana, MS, welcomed this collaboration as a concrete step in encouraging students to be more active in the agricultural sector. She emphasized that the partnership with JHL Group can open up great opportunities for students to learn directly from industry practitioners.

 

“We hope that students can make the most of this opportunity, develop their knowledge, and contribute to the future of Indonesian agriculture,” said Prof. Tavi.

 

Founder of JHL Group, Jerry Hermawan Lo, emphasized that this program does not require the scholarship recipients to work in his company after graduation. He emphasized that the main goal of this collaboration is to educate the younger generation so that the agricultural sector has more competent experts.

 

“We don't require them to work at our place, but if they need recommendations or workplaces, we will help according to their abilities,” Jerry explained.

 

As the initiator of the collaboration, Johan Sembiring revealed that this scholarship program is prioritized for students with poor economic conditions but high enthusiasm for pursuing education. In addition to tuition assistance, the program is also designed to shape students' social awareness to better prepare them for the world of work.

 

“We want to ensure that students who receive scholarships not only excel academically but also have social awareness to develop Indonesia's agricultural sector,” Johan said.

 

The cooperation includes scholarships and support for the development of innovation and research in agriculture. The USU Faculty of Agriculture plans to strengthen collaboration with JHL Group in agricultural technology, agribusiness, and sustainable land use research.

 

“Hopefully, this cooperation will not only be limited to scholarships but also strengthen agricultural innovations that can benefit the wider community,” said Johan.

 

With this initiative, USU and JHL Group hope that more young people will be interested in developing Indonesia's agricultural sector. This program is expected to be the first step in encouraging technology and innovation-based agriculture, which will increase the competitiveness of national agriculture in the future.