Challenges that Tested Perseverance: At the beginning of 2025, Kutagugung faced a series of complex issues: disputes with investors at Lake Lau Kawar, unresolved tourism asset legality, and the absence of village-generated income, which resulted in prolonged stagnation. Community members lost trust in development efforts, as previous government aid—such as swimming pool and pedestrian facilities—failed to yield financial returns. Disillusionment grew to the point where large demonstrations were considered to demand fair governance of tourism assets.

In the midst of these tensions, the USU team arrived not merely to provide outreach, but to deliver solutions. Together with Prof. Dr. Nurlisa Ginting, M.Si., Head of the Center of Excellence for Sustainable Tourism at USU, and supported by experts including Prof. Dr. Rudy Sofyan, M.Sc., the team initiated the ASTACITA Summit 2025. This forum embraced the pentahelix collaboration model, bringing together government, academia, communities, and media into a consensus of peace and a new development pathway.

Foursety: A Symbol of Courage and Collaboration: From this forum emerged Foursety, a name that embodies philosophy and interpretation. “FOUR” represents the four pillars—government, academia, community, and media—while “SETY” reflects loyalty in collaboration and the courage to reinterpret challenges as opportunities. More than just a name, Foursety became a conceptual identity binding together a collective spirit and affirming community ownership of their tourism development.
Within less than 30 days since its launch on August 8, 2025, the impact was remarkable: gross revenue of approximately IDR 15 million was achieved, marking a concrete breakthrough in local economic progress.

Strengthening Community Participation: The success of Foursety lies not only in numbers but also in growing civic participation. A villager has donated part of his land for tourism expansion, reflecting renewed trust and collective spirit. Women’s groups (PKK) now manage the tourism canteen, village youth serve as tour guides, and the Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes) Deleng Lancuk oversees the Tourism Unit with promising potential to evolve into an official Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis). This active participation ensures tourism is not only owned but also sustained by the community itself.

USU’s Innovations in Action: The Foursety milestone was driven by USU’s multifaceted innovations: Governance Innovation: A transparent, corruption-free financial system with equitable profit-sharing ensured that every rupiah returns to the village, Digital Innovation: USU students designed Instagram-based promotion strategies using algorithmic analysis and professional content, reaching hundreds of thousands of views and surpassing 800,000 impressions at the campaign’s peak, Social Innovation: A hands-on pentahelix collaboration model restored community trust, transforming skepticism into active participation, conceptual Innovation: The creation of the Foursety identity and collaborative system introduced novelty in rural tourism development, strengthening village ownership and management. In addition, the USU Center of Excellence for Sustainable Tourism, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Nurlisa Ginting, M.Si., has developed a grand design for long-term area development, ensuring that Foursety grows with a clear direction grounded in sustainability principles.

A New Momentum for Villages and Academia: Today, Foursety stands as a living laboratory for USU students to gain firsthand experience in tourism management, digital marketing, and visitor services. For the local community, the steady arrival of tourists represents not only an economic opportunity but also a renewed confidence that their village is capable of independent growth.

This transformation illustrates that community service can go beyond seminars and training sessions to become a real movement that reshapes rural landscapes. From conflict and doubt, Kutagugung has now emerged as a model tourism village in North Sumatra, built upon the courage of collaboration and the strength of innovation.

“Foursety is not merely a destination, but living proof that knowledge can illuminate the path for villages,” emphasized Samerdanta Sinulingga, S.ST.Par., M.Par., the USU team leader who orchestrated the process from conceptualization to tangible economic impact.
Through this initiative, Universitas Sumatera Utara reaffirms its role as a driver of change, bringing forward innovations in governance, tourism digitalization, and collaborative models that may serve as inspiration for other villages across North Sumatra and Indonesia.