The North Sumatra Provincial Office of the Ministry of Population and Family Development/National Population and Family Planning Agency (Kemendukbangga/BKKBN) paid a courtesy visit to Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) to strengthen cooperation between the two institutions. The meeting was held on Wednesday (September 23) in the meeting room at UMSU’s campus on Jalan Muchtar Basri No. 3, Medan.
The delegation was welcomed by UMSU Rector Prof. Dr. Akrim, M.Pd., represented by Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, Community Service, and Internationalization (RIPI), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rudianto, M.Si. He explained that the partnership between UMSU and the North Sumatra BKKBN office had supported various initiatives, including the development of community cadres.
UMSU also sees opportunities to align joint programs with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and gender-related issues.
“We have carried out quite a number of activities with BKKBN, including cadre development and collaborative initiatives,” said the UMSU leadership representative.
Looking ahead, UMSU hopes to expand the partnership through initiatives such as research and the publication of books on family-related issues.
“We could, for example, work on a book about families and related topics. We are ready to provide the necessary support, and we hope this collaboration will continue,” he added.
Earlier, Head of the North Sumatra BKKBN Representative Office Dr. Mahyuzar, M.Si., expressed his gratitude for UMSU’s warm welcome. He noted that the two institutions had considerable opportunities to work together, particularly in community service and the use of data for research.
“If UMSU needs family-related data, we can provide it, including data on families at risk of having children with stunted growth,” Mahyuzar said. He also expressed hope that the cooperation agreement between the two institutions could be renewed to reflect current program needs.
Dr. Mahyuzar also outlined several programs that could involve higher education institutions, including empowerment initiatives and schools for older adults, the Foster Parents Movement to Prevent Stunting (Genting), Healthy Kitchens to Address Stunting, and the Higher Education Population Forum.
According to him, these programs could provide opportunities for UMSU to conduct research, carry out community service, and assist communities directly.
“We are ready to collaborate to help make North Sumatra a better place for everyone,” he said.
Also attending were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hj. Yurisna Tanjung, M.AP., Vice Dean III of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) and Chair of UMSU’s Center for Gender and Child Studies (PSGA); UMSU bureau heads; Agustina Siregar, S.Sos., M.Si., Head of the Family Development Team; Dra. Rabiatun Adawiyah, MPHR, Head of the Community Mobilization and Field Operations Management Working Team (Permas Linlap); M. Ancha Sitorus, S.Pd., M.SP., a member of the Human Resources, Organization, and Legal Affairs Working Team (SDM-OH); and Siti Ahlan Sarmadani Harahap, SKM., a member of the General Affairs, Public Relations, and Protocol Working Team who serves as the Head of Representative’s personal assistant.
