USU Public Relations - Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) inaugurated three professors in a ceremony held at the USU Auditorium on Friday (14/07/2023).

The three professors inaugurated by the Rector of Universitas Sumatera Utara, Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., were Prof. Dr. Poltak Sihombing, M.Kom. from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Prof. Dr. Diana Sofia Hanafiah, S.P., M.P. from the Faculty of Agriculture, and Prof. Dr. Dra. T. Thyrhaya Zein, M.A. from the Faculty of Cultural Science.

In his speech, the Rector of Universitas Sumatera Utara expressed his pride in the achievements of these professors and highly appreciated their dedication and contributions. He also emphasized that the inauguration of these professors aligns with the university’s commitment to improving its quality and reputation.

"As the university leader, I express my appreciation to the three permanent professors inaugurated today. This inauguration also serves as a means to enhance the university’s quality and reputation in line with its commitment," said Prof. Muryanto.

The Rector highlighted the importance of quality education within the university environment, emphasizing teaching and learning as one of the primary pillars for achieving high-quality higher education. He referred to international assessments such as the PISA indicator, which shows gaps in literacy, mathematics, and science skills in Indonesia.

"To enhance and achieve high-quality education at the university, teaching and learning must be implemented optimally. We refer to the indicators set by PISA regarding gaps in literacy, mathematics, and science skills in Indonesia," stated Prof. Muryanto.

He further explained that USU has adopted the concept of a sociopreneur university, which places innovation and extensive networking as fundamental pillars in addressing social issues through education. He believes that higher education institutions must act as agents of change in improving learning quality.

With the tagline "Transformation Towards the Ultimate," USU strengthens its reputation as an academic center dedicated to producing high-quality research and education. According to the Rector, the university upholds principles that support progress and innovation in research and teaching across various fields of knowledge while reaffirming its commitment to enhancing the relevance of education in Indonesia.

One of the newly inaugurated professors, Prof. Dr. Dra. T. Thyrhaya Zein, M.A., shared that the journey to becoming a professor involves a long process. She emphasized the importance of upholding the Tri Dharma principles, publishing articles in international journals, and conducting collaborative research to meet the indicators required for professorship.

"The stages involved in achieving professorship are closely tied to the Tri Dharma principles. From the beginning, I prepared a collection of articles and international journals while also conducting collaborative research. Then, I went through the stages of data collection and processing, leading to this inauguration," said Prof. Thyrhaya.

With this inauguration, it is hoped that the three newly appointed professors will be further inspired and motivated to continue contributing to advancing knowledge and enhancing the university’s quality at both national and international levels.

For reference, Prof. Dr. Poltak Sihombing,M.Kom., Ph.D. from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology was inaugurated as a Permanent Professor in Computer Science and delivered an inaugural speech titled "Microcontrollers for Accelerating Digital Transformation in Emerging Technology."

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Diana Sofia Hanafiah, S.P., M.P. from the Faculty of Agriculture was inaugurated as a Permanent Professor in Cytogenetics and delivered an inaugural speech titled "Enhancing Genetic Diversity of Plants to Obtain Superior Crops for Sustainable Agriculture."

Lastly, Prof. Dr. Dra. T. Thyrhaya Zein, M.A. from the Faculty of Cultural Science was inaugurated as a Permanent Professor in Discourse Analysis and delivered an inaugural speech titled "Representation of Poverty in Indonesia in Internet Discourse: A Corpus Linguistics Analysis."

Author: Bambang Riyanto - Public Relations

Interviewee: Prof. Muryanto Amin - USU Rector

Photographer: Amri Simatupang - Public Relations