USU PR – Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) has once again expanded its ranks of distinguished academics by inaugurating five Permanent Professors through the USU Professor Inauguration Ceremony. The event was held at the USU Student Center on Tuesday (10/21/2025). The newly inaugurated professors are Prof. Dr. Budi Utomo, S.P., M.P.; Prof. Dr. Arida Susilowati, S.Hut., M.Si.; Prof. Dr. Rudi Hartono, S.Hut., M.Si.; Prof. Dr. Ir. Muhdi, S.Hut., M.Si., IPU., ASEAN Eng.; and Prof. Dr. Vivi Gusrini Rahmadani, M.Sc., M.A., Psikolog.
The five professors come from the Faculty of Forestry and the Faculty of Psychology of USU, two strategic fields that play a crucial role in environmental sustainability and human resource development. Through the applicative research they have produced, this inauguration affirms USU’s direction of transformation toward an impactful research university.
In his remarks, the Rector of USU, Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., stated that throughout 2025, USU submitted 56 proposals for professorships, with 16 Decrees already issued. To date, 230 USU lecturers have received Professor Decrees, and 223 of them have been officially inaugurated as members of the Professorial Board.
“Every professor must become a center of integrative tridarma innovation. Higher education institutions must serve as neutral and interdisciplinary spaces for thinking,” he emphasized.
Prof. Muryanto also highlighted the importance of faculty readiness in facing global transformation and future competency changes. He stressed that professors must be able to adapt curricula, research, and learning models to students’ social contexts and the needs of future industries.
In his inaugural lecture entitled Science and Technology Approaches in Forest Rehabilitation and Restoration, Prof. Budi Utomo emphasized the importance of applying science and technology in forest rehabilitation and restoration, particularly in the Lake Toba watershed area. He asserted that the success of reforestation is not determined solely by planting, but also by sustainable maintenance and cross-sector collaboration.
“If carried out with sustainable maintenance, reforestation not only grows trees but also preserves ecosystem balance and the future of our environment,” he said.
Prof. Arida Susilowati emphasized the importance of precision forestry that integrates genomics and biodiversity to create forest management systems that are efficient and adaptive to climate change.
Meanwhile, Prof. Rudi Hartono presented research on bamboo material engineering through wood modification technology to produce high-quality laminated boards with sustainable economic value.
Prof. Muhdi, in his lecture, highlighted the importance of environmentally friendly forest harvesting practices as a key to achieving sustainable production forest management.
Prof. Vivi Gusrini Rahmadani bridged the fields of psychology and culture in the context of modern leadership through the concept of engaging leadership and the local values of diuwongke, which emphasize humanity and empathy in leadership.
This inauguration marks a concrete step by USU in accelerating the transformation of the tridarma and strengthening its position as an impactful university with global competitiveness. Each professor is expected to become an agent of change, ensuring that research and teaching outcomes provide tangible benefits for society and sustainable development.
