USU PUBLIC RELATIONS – Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) held a ceremony commemorating the 98th Youth Pledge Day in 2026 at the USU Rectorate Building courtyard on Wednesday (October 28, 2026). The ceremony was attended by members of the USU academic community as a commemoration of the spirit of youth struggle in uniting the nation.

In his remarks conveying the message of the Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Indonesia, Erick Thohir, USU Rector Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., reminded Indonesian youth to continue upholding the spirit of unity and making it part of the character of future generations.

“Today, that spirit must continue to live on. Not only in our memories, but also in the character of every generation that will carry the nation forward,” he said.

In the address, Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si., emphasized the importance of building a young generation that is patriotic, resilient, and empathetic. These three values are expected to be applied in daily life through love for the homeland, perseverance in facing difficulties, and concern for others.

“Therefore, we must build a future generation that is patriotic, resilient, and empathetic,” he stressed.

Furthermore, the USU Rector explained that these three values serve as a guide for young people to make tangible contributions to the nation and demonstrate concern for society.

“Being patriotic means loving Indonesia not merely through words, but through dedication and concrete action. Being resilient means not giving up when facing difficulties, not being discouraged by failure, and not stopping the struggle until we have given our best for the nation. And being empathetic means not thinking only about one’s own success, but also feeling the difficulties faced by others and not turning away when people need help,” he added.

USU Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Cooperation, Prof. Dr. Eng. Himsar Ambarita, S.T., M.T., said that the values of resilience and empathy need to be embraced by the entire academic community, including students. According to him, these values are aligned with the character USU seeks to develop through its BINTANG values.

“We actually have a set of principles that we call BINTANG, one of which is resilience. This is also accompanied by innovation, with integrity embedded within it,” he said.

He also explained that being empathetic means being able to understand and feel what others are experiencing. In addition, he reminded students to continue serving as pioneers and maintain a fighting spirit in facing various challenges.

“Being empathetic means being able to feel what people outside ourselves are experiencing. When combined, resilience and empathy are indeed fundamental values that must be understood by the entire academic community of Universitas Sumatera Utara, including its students,” he said.

The commemoration of the 98th Youth Pledge Day at USU serves as a reminder for students to continue cultivating patriotism, resilience, and concern for others. These values are expected to serve as a foundation for the younger generation to contribute to the nation’s development.