By Kritagya Regmi, Office of Public Affairs
4 October 2022 – The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) and Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to optimize mutually beneficial partnership principles and encourage closer academic ties.
This MoU concerns improving the relationship between the two institutions in carrying out educational activities and academic research.
The scope of the MoU is capacity building through Masters/Ph.D. partnership programs, development of mutually beneficial academic and training programs and courses, joint supervision of graduate students, and research collaboration through joint research, international publications, patents, and conferences.
The MOU was signed by Professor Kazuo Yamamoto, AIT President, and Dr. Muryanto Amin, Rector, USU.
During the signing ceremony, Professor Yamamoto remarked that the MoU and MoA would be beneficial to expand the scope of cooperation between AIT and USU. He noted, “We have a concrete idea of implementing the collaboration. This partnership has come very timely as data science and artificial intelligence are emerging issues in academia, government, and the industry sector.” He also urged support from the Embassy of Indonesia in the partnership.
Dr. Muryanto Amin, Rector, USU, expressed eagerness to connect with various schools and departments of AIT, “We look forward to the activities and I am confident the partnership will contribute to the advancement of AIT and USU. It will improve the quality and quantity of human resources by enhancing knowledge in development and technology.”
Dr. Achmad Wicaksono, Attaché of Education and Culture, Embassy of Indonesia, expressed interest in supporting such collaborations, “We always encourage the partnerships of Indonesian institutions with global institutions like AIT.” He added, “To improve the collaboration and ensure sustainability, it is necessary to follow up on our actions. Any issues that need attention should be addressed to make this partnership robust and effective. I look forward to seeing the achievements of this collaboration.” He further suggested that the Embassy, AIT, and USU should hold regular discussions to strengthen the collaboration.
Similarly, MoA was signed between the School of Engineering and Technology, AIT, and the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, USU. The MoA encourages closer ties and plans to establish programs of exchange and collaboration in areas of interest and benefit to both institutions. The agreement will serve as a general framework for cooperation between the two institutions and is intended to facilitate discussions regarding the scope of each collaborative program.
The MOA was signed by Prof. Dieter Trau, Dean, School of Engineering and Technology, AIT, and Dr. Maya Silvi Lydia, Dean, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, USU.
The agreement involves post-graduate studies and aims to encourage and promote collaboration by supporting enrollment for USU faculty and staff to undertake Master’s and Ph.D. programs in AIT, conducting short-term courses, training, international education camps, joint projects, conferences, and other academic and research activities.
From AIT, the event was attended by Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto, AIT President; Prof. Dieter Trau, Dean, School of Engineering and Technology; Dr. Chutiporn Anutariya, Associate Dean SET, Computer Science and Information Management; Prof. Matthew N. Dailey, Visiting Faculty, Computer Science and Information Management; Mr. Shawn P. Kelly, Director, Office of International Affairs; Mr. Sanjeet Amatya, Deputy Director, Office of Public Affairs and Ms. Indra Kumari, Senior Program Officer.
From USU, the event was attended by Dr. Muryanto Amin, Rector, USU; Prof. Poppy Anjelisa Hasibuan, Vice-Rector on Research and Cooperation; Prof. Opim Salim Sitompul, Vice-Rector on Information System, Development and Planning; Dr. Maya Silvi Lydia, Dean of Faculty of Computer Science, Information and Technology; Dr. Erna Budiarthi Nababan, Head of DSAI Department; Dr. Emerson Pascawira Sinulingga, Member of DSAI Project and Ms. Siti Ayu Novarina Suyanto, Staff, Human Relations.
Universitas Sumatera Utara was established in 1952 as one of the oldest universities in Indonesia. Located in Medan province of North Sumatra, it is one of the leading institutions in South East Asia. USU has 15 faculties and 1 Graduate School with more than 150 study programs. It is ranked #1201-1400 in QS World University Rankings and #501-550 in QS Asian University Rankings.
