Toward campus Internationalization. Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) officially establish a partnership with one of the oldest campus in Massachusets, America that have an international reputation, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) that had been established since 1865. That partnership is focused on the USU plan to build Innovation Studio that have an international standard with WPI to accompany them as a role model.
On Thursday 25th May 2023, The rector of USU Prof. Dr. Muryanto Amin, S.Sos., M.Si and his member directly visited WPI and signed the agreement with the WPI’s rector Winston Wole Soboyejo related to the plan for building innovation studio also for the student and staff exchange program, collaboration on research and innovation to improving the grade and quality of the graduate from the two campus.
Prof Muryanto explained that main focus of the partnership between USU and WPI is to build an innovation studio, This Innovation Studio will be supporting the students practical learning that combine the theory and practice for example is the use of printing technology. WPI has experience on building integrated studio innovations and is willing to provide assistance to USU.
Prof. Muryanto said that he impressed with WPI’s laboratory and innovation studio facilities to support student practicum activities where WPI fully implement project-based learning in its curriculum. He also hoped that USU can take valuable lessons on this visit specifically related on how to manage university internationalization, improve academic quality, and achieving reputation and most importantly is to get support from WPI for research and development activities of innovation studio at USU.
USU itself at this time trying to achieve the 500th position in QS World University Ranking (WUR) as part of the campus internationalization program. Through the Summer Course, Inbound/Outbond Students, Internationalization Mobility Staff (IMS) and Sabbatical Leave (SL) Programs. USU also invited the Worcester Polytechnic Institute to take part and collaborate in these internationalization programs.
The Rector of WPI Winston Wole Soboyejo warmly welcome the USU’s member to WPI, Massachusets, USA. He is grateful for the collaboration between USU and WPI and hoped that this collaboration can help to improve the quality and encouraging the progress of USU and WPI in the fields of research, innovation, and improve of human resources. Accompanied by the vice rector of WPI Mimi Sheller, the rector of WPI accompanied USU’s rector to visit facilities on WPI such as Lab, Student Center, Innovation Studio and Conference Room.
USU under the leadership of Prof Muryanto Amin had a significant progress on internationalization program, from the result of ranking from various international agencies on 2023, USU is placed on 1200-1400 QS WUR, 451 on QS AUR, 1501 on THE WUR, and on Schimago Rank Institution USU placed on the 5th top university in Indonesia.
In 2023, USU offer 25 programs on Summer School for students and foreign lecture, USU also opened the Inbound/Outbond student program, which last year accepted foreign students from Austria to study at USU’s Master of Management Study Program for one semester. On this year USU will send 38 students to study for one semester to Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) on Malaysia, 10 students to International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) on Karachi, Pakistan, and 4 students to do Kampus Mengajar program on Sekolah Indonesia Bangkok.
In 2022, 7 lecturers participate on International Mobility Staff (IMS) program, and 1 lecturer participate on Sabbatical Leave (SL), this year there will be 9 lecturers participate on IMS program and also there will be a guest lecturer program which facilitates foreign lecturer to give a lecture according to their specialties.
Collaboration with campus that have an international reputation need to forged continuously in an effort to enhance USU’s reputation to become a world-class campus. Before WPI, USU also establish a collaboration with University of Twente di Enschede, Netherland that placed on top 212th in QS WUR.