Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Malaysia has partnered with Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) in an international collaboration encompassing visiting lectures, public lectures, cultural exchange, and community service through the Service Learning Malaysia – University for Society (SULAM) program.
The program was officially opened on Friday (May 23) at UMSU’s VIP Room on Jalan Muchtar Basri No. 3, Medan, by Vice Rector III Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rudianto, representing UMSU Rector Prof. Dr. Agussani, MAP, along with UiTM faculty representative Assoc. Prof. Norziaton Ismail Khan.
During the opening, Assoc. Prof. Norziaton Ismail Khan expressed her appreciation for the warm welcome and elaborated on the goals of the SULAM program.
“Thank you very much for welcoming us to this SULAM project. The program operates both nationally within Malaysia and internationally. We specifically chose Indonesia and UMSU for this collaboration,” she explained.
SULAM is an initiative by the Malaysian Ministry of Education to support the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015–2025 (Higher Education). The program focuses on community engagement, particularly in supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
“Through this program, UiTM and UMSU students will interview MSME owners, conduct business analysis, and submit reports offering recommendations for business development,” Norziaton stated.
Participating UiTM students are in their final semester and will work collaboratively with UMSU international students from May 24 to 31, 2025. This marks the first time SULAM is being conducted on an international scale, with a focus on exploring the “Caca Jamur” business.
“This will be a valuable and educational experience for both UiTM and UMSU students. The program will involve data collection, analysis, presentation, revision, and final evaluation with feedback,” she added.
Earlier, UMSU Vice Rector III Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rudianto expressed his gratitude for the partnership.
“Welcome to Medan. Our international class students are very friendly, so please feel comfortable working together to make this program a success. Hopefully, this visit leaves a lasting impression and encourages more frequent collaborations in the future,” he said.
Dr. Rudianto also noted that nearly all universities in Malaysia have established partnerships with UMSU. He hopes that this initiative will continue to grow into a broader international collaboration that benefits both institutions and the wider community.
The event concluded with an exchange of souvenirs as a symbol of friendship and cross-border cooperation between UiTM and UMSU. Both institutions aim to strengthen their collaborative network—not only in academics but also in contributing to global community development.
Also present were the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Dr. H. Januri, S.E., M.M., M.Si., CMA; Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FIKTI), Dr. Alkhowarizmi, S.Kom., M.Kom; Vice Dean III of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Dra. Hj. Yurisna Tanjung, M.AP; Head of PUSKIIBI, Assoc. Prof. Dewi Andriany, S.E., M.M.; and the UMSU Office of International Collaboration (OIC). The program involves 15 students from UiTM and 10 international students from UMSU.
