HUMAS FAHUTAN - The Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), officially sent off three outstanding students who will represent Universitas Sumatera Utara at the Greenovate Challenge 2026, a national sustainability innovation competition organized by TBS Foundation. The send-off ceremony was held at the Faculty of Forestry, USU Campus 2, Deli Serdang, on Thursday (July 30, 2026), as an expression of institutional support for the students competing at the national level.

The three students are finalists who advanced through a series of mentoring and proposal selection processes previously conducted by Universitas Sumatera Utara. Throughout the process, they received intensive guidance to refine their innovative ideas, which will be presented at the national competition in Jakarta from August 3–6, 2026.

On the occasion, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry USU, Prof. Arida Susilowati, expressed her appreciation for the hard work, dedication, and innovative spirit demonstrated by the students. According to her, being selected to represent Universitas Sumatera Utara is an achievement to be proud of, as well as a responsibility to deliver their best performance at the national level.

In her remarks, Prof. Arida also encouraged the finalists to remain confident, maintain their enthusiasm, and demonstrate their best abilities throughout the competition. “Keep up the spirit, do your best, and hopefully become the champions,” Prof. Arida said.

The message served as encouragement for the finalists to uphold the reputation of Universitas Sumatera Utara while demonstrating that student-developed innovations can make a meaningful contribution to addressing various sustainable development challenges.

The students who will represent Universitas Sumatera Utara at the Greenovate Challenge 2026 are:

  • Viona Desani Cikita Manalu (241201024)
  • Angelita Catherine Arsya Sihite (241201039)
  • Agnes T. E. Sihaloho (241201124)

Greenovate Challenge serves as a collaborative platform that brings together students, higher education institutions, academics, and industry partners to develop innovative solutions to various sustainable development challenges. Through the competition, participants are encouraged to present ideas that are not only creative but also applicable and capable of generating tangible impacts for society.

The participation of Faculty of Forestry USU students in the Greenovate Challenge 2026 reflects Universitas Sumatera Utara’s commitment to fostering a generation of innovative, adaptive, and globally competitive young people through research-based solutions. The support provided to the finalists not only contributes to student achievement development but also represents the university’s commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) through capacity building, SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) through the development of sustainable innovations, and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through collaboration among higher education institutions, industry, and various stakeholders. Through this competition, USU hopes that the finalists will bring pride to the university while developing innovations that provide tangible benefits to society and the environment.