The Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), welcomed a delegation from Green Justice Indonesia (GJI) on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at the Faculty of Forestry. The meeting formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration between academia and civil society organizations in promoting the sustainable management of natural resources, particularly within the Leuser Ecosystem Area (LEA) in North Sumatra Province.
The Green Justice Indonesia delegation was represented by Program Manager Sofyan Adli and Program Officer Sandrak Lugo. They were warmly received by the Vice Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation, and Information of the USU Faculty of Forestry, Dr. Anita Zaitunah, accompanied by the Dean's Advisor for Cooperation, Dr. Nelly Anna, and the Head of the Cooperation Subdivision, Teguh.
The meeting focused on preparations for the Policy Workshop on Strengthening the Governance of the Leuser Ecosystem Area (LEA) in North Sumatra Province. During the discussion, Green Justice Indonesia invited the USU Faculty of Forestry to participate as an academic partner by providing moderators and expert discussants from among its academic community.
As a higher education institution with expertise in forestry, conservation, and natural resource governance, the USU Faculty of Forestry expressed its readiness to support the workshop. The Faculty will appoint moderators and discussants with expertise in protected area governance, biodiversity conservation, and forest ecosystem management, with the expectation that they will provide constructive scientific contributions to policy discussions concerning the Leuser Ecosystem Area.
This collaboration represents a tangible example of synergy between higher education institutions and civil society organizations in promoting evidence-based policymaking and strengthening the sustainable governance of conservation areas. Through the active involvement of academics, the discussions are expected to produce comprehensive recommendations for the management of the Leuser Ecosystem Area, one of Indonesia's most important conservation landscapes.
The partnership between Green Justice Indonesia and the USU Faculty of Forestry has been well established through various initiatives supporting capacity building, scientific development, and environmental conservation. This meeting marks another step toward strengthening the strategic partnership between the two institutions while reinforcing the Faculty's contribution to promoting equitable, sustainable, and science-based natural resource governance.
The initiative also reflects the commitment of the Faculty of Forestry, Universitas Sumatera Utara, to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. The collaboration between the USU Faculty of Forestry and Green Justice Indonesia highlights the importance of partnerships between higher education institutions and civil society organizations in advancing science-based environmental governance. Through this partnership, both parties are committed to contributing academic expertise to the Policy Workshop on Strengthening the Governance of the Leuser Ecosystem Area (LEA), thereby supporting the formulation of more inclusive, sustainable, and conservation-oriented public policies.