Medan – The Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), Prof. Dr. Arida Susilowati, S.Hut., M.Si., alongside the Vice Dean for Research, Community Engagement, Partnerships, and Internationalization, attended a high-level discussion titled "Strategic Research Innovation Program - University" on Saturday, October 24, 2026, held at the USU Rectorate Building in Medan.
The strategic session featured Prof. Dr. Arif Satria, S.P., M.Si., Head of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), as the keynote speaker. He outlined visionary perspectives on strengthening higher education research and innovation amid accelerating technological advancement. Key topics addressed included technological mapping, industrial pillars in building Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystems, and the necessity of aligning university research with tangible societal needs.
A major highlight centered on building institutional AI capabilities across three core pillars: understanding, utilization, and technological development. These elements are vital for establishing an adaptive innovation ecosystem that enables universities to leverage emerging technology strategically.
For the Faculty of Forestry USU, the session offered valuable strategic direction for expanding applied research horizons, particularly in deploying technology for sustainable forest and natural resource management. Bridging scientific research with technological innovation reinforces the university's capacity to address environmental challenges and national development goals.
Participation in this initiative underscores the Faculty of Forestry USU’s commitment to producing relevant, collaborative, and impactful research outcomes in higher education.
This research strategy meeting directly aligns with Sustainable Development Goals SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by building research capacity and technological innovation, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by strengthening institutional synergy between universities and national research agencies.