09 September 2020
Threesna Sharfina
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MEDAN–USU PR: The Rector of Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), Prof. Dr. Runtung Sitepu, S.H., M.Hum., inaugurated the Faculty of Forestry Building at the Kwala Bekala Campus, Pancur Batu District, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, on Wednesday (09/09/2020). The use of this building will await policy from the Ministry of Education and Culture regarding permission to conduct offline academic activities.
The Rector hopes the building will be well utilized, especially after the pandemic ends, when face-to-face lectures resume. According to him, the presence of the Faculty of Forestry building brings a distinctive character, adopting a green building concept that allows for maximum natural light through openings on all sides. This concept is believed to minimize electricity use for lighting and air conditioning.
He further stated that the presence of the USU campus in Kwala Bekala will have a positive impact not only on the Faculty of Forestry but also on the surrounding community. The new building is planned to be operational by mid-January 2021.
“We hope this new building will better support the learning process, especially for forestry students at USU. The construction of a building is not the goal itself but a means to improve university performance and push USU toward becoming a world-class university,” said the Rector.
While awaiting an announcement from the Ministry of Education and Culture regarding offline learning, the Rector said that USU would use the time to complete facilities at the faculty. “We’re still using groundwater for clean water, and PLN is still preparing electricity,” said Prof. Runtung to reporters.
Accompanied by the Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, Siti Latifah, S.Hut., M.Si., Ph.D., the Rector stated that the university has also allocated a budget to construct a road from the Tuntungan Central Market to the campus to facilitate student access.
“We have submitted a budget proposal of Rp18 billion to the Ministry of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) to construct a student dormitory. The dormitory is expected to accommodate 50 percent of the total number of Faculty of Forestry students at USU, which currently stands at 780,” he said.
He added that USU’s proposal for supporting infrastructure for the Faculty of Forestry had received positive feedback from the Ministry of Public Works. Currently, the main issues are road, water, and electricity infrastructure. All of these will be resolved soon,” he said.
Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, Siti Latifah, S.Hut., M.Si., Ph.D., stated that the inauguration of the new building marked a historic moment for the faculty’s academic community. “Under the leadership of Rector Prof. Runtung Sitepu, the dream of the Faculty of Forestry having its building has come true. Therefore, we would like to express our gratitude to the Rector,” she said.
She previously explained that the building project had long been included in USU’s Strategic Plan (Renstra), which outlines the development of the Kwala Bekala Campus, starting with the Faculty of Forestry building. As the youngest faculty, the Faculty of Forestry had limited space at USU’s main campus on Jalan Dr. Mansur, Medan, and still shared facilities with the Faculty of Agriculture.
In addition to her gratitude, she expressed joy that the environment around the building is pleasant, green, and clean. “The surroundings are conducive for lecturers and students to conduct research and fieldwork,” she said.
The inauguration ceremony was marked by the unveiling of the faculty’s name plaque on the front façade, the signing of the inauguration inscription, and a tree-planting ceremony by the USU Rector, accompanied by MWA Secretary Prof. Guslihan, vice rectors, deans, and heads of institutions and units within USU. (PR/RJ)
