Medan – The Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FEB USU), continues to promote academic transformation by strengthening lecturers' capacities in research and learning. This effort is realized through competency development activities involving lecturers from the Management and Entrepreneurship Study Programs at various educational levels.
The activity, held on October 5, 2026, at Tom’s Jungle, Namurambe, Deli Serdang, provided a space for lecturers to strengthen various important aspects of implementing the three pillars of higher education. The development focused on improving the quality of scientific papers, preparing learning assessment instruments, and developing Semester Learning Plans (RPS) that are increasingly adaptive to the needs of higher education.
One of FEB USU's main priorities is to improve the quality of lecturers' research and publications. Through a workshop on writing reputable scientific papers, lecturers from the Master's and Doctoral Programs in Management received guidance on strategies for producing scientific papers with quality and competitiveness at the international level.
The discussions focused not only on preparing scientific articles but also on developing systematic literature reviews, international book chapters, and utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a supporting tool in the academic process. The use of this technology continues to be directed toward maintaining academic integrity and the substantive quality of research.
Strengthening learning quality was also a key focus through a workshop on designing assignments and assessment rubrics. Lecturers were encouraged to develop more structured evaluation instruments so that the assessment process could reflect students' competency achievements more objectively and measurably.
Meanwhile, for the Undergraduate Programs in Management and Entrepreneurship, learning development focused on aligning the Semester Learning Plans (RPS) with the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) approach. This approach encourages stronger connections among learning outcomes, course materials, student activities, teaching methods, and assessment systems.
The Dean of FEB USU, Dr. Abdillah Arif Nasution, S.E., M.Si., Ak., CA., QGIA, CHRS., encouraged the capacity-building activities to produce tangible outcomes. One such outcome is the completion of scientific article drafts through to the submission stage, thereby contributing to the improvement of FEB USU's academic performance and publications.
This series of competency development activities also demonstrates FEB USU's commitment to building an academic environment that continues to grow and respond to developments in science and technology. The improvement of lecturers' capacities is expected to extend beyond workshops and be applied sustainably in research activities and classroom learning.
FEB USU's initiative also supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 – Quality Education, through improving lecturer quality and outcome-based learning; SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, through strengthening competencies and entrepreneurship education relevant to workforce needs; and SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, through enhancing research capacity, innovation, and the use of technology in academic activities. Through these efforts, FEB USU continues to strive to provide higher education that is high-quality, adaptive, innovative, and impactful.