Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) symbolically distributed disaster relief aid to victims in Sumatra through Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) at the UMSU VIP Room, Jalan Muchtar Basri No. 3, Medan, on Tuesday (December 16).
The aid distribution was welcomed by UMSU Rector Prof. Dr. Agussani, MAP, accompanied by Vice Rector II Prof. Dr. Akrim, M.Pd, and was directly received by representatives of lecturers, staff, and students affected by the disaster.
In his remarks, Rector Prof. Dr. Agussani stated that UMSU has undertaken various emergency response efforts in disaster-affected areas, particularly in North Sumatra and Aceh.
“The university has also established a relief post as a form of concern for disaster victims,” he said.
He added that the presence of the BNI team provided great encouragement to the UMSU academic community. “BNI’s presence gives tremendous motivation. We truly appreciate this, especially as UMSU and BNI have maintained a strong partnership and commitment to improving services. Thank you for the good cooperation that has been established,” he remarked.
The Rector expressed hope that the assistance would be beneficial, especially for affected students.
“Hopefully this aid will be useful, particularly for students. This is a form of collaborative care with our partners, not only for UMSU but also for the wider Medan community,” he added.
Previously, Head of BNI Regional Office 01 Medan, Bayu Pramana, stated that the assistance reflects BNI’s commitment to supporting its strategic partners and helping communities affected by disasters.
“This is part of our commitment and cooperation with UMSU. At the very least, this assistance can help ease the burden. We hope it can contribute and provide support to UMSU,” he said.
He also emphasized that BNI’s cooperation is not limited to the education sector. “This is part of our commitment to collaborate with PP Muhammadiyah, not only in education but also in other sectors. Going forward, we hope to develop further areas of cooperation,” Bayu explained.
Meanwhile, Vice Rector II Prof. Akrim added that UMSU is ready to participate in the post-disaster recovery phase.
“UMSU will take part in the recovery process until December 30. We see that this disaster has had a significant impact, therefore UMSU will continue to play an active role in the recovery efforts,” he explained.
The event concluded with the signing of a memorandum of record as a form of joint commitment to disaster response, followed by the symbolic handover of aid to representatives of affected lecturers, staff, and students.
