Medan, July 15, 2025 — A solemn academic atmosphere filled the IMT-GT Room on the 2nd Floor of the BPA Building at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. This special occasion became even more distinguished with the presence of Prof. Ir. Togar M. Simatupang, M.Tech., Ph.D., IPU, Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Sesjen Kemdiktisaintek), who served as an external examiner in the Open Doctoral Promotion Examination of the Doctoral Program in Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, USU.

During the open examination, two doctoral candidates successfully defended their dissertations and were officially awarded the title of Doctor. They are Aburrozzaq, the 16th graduate, and Erwin, the 17th graduate of the program.

Aburrozzaq presented his dissertation entitled “The AKHLAK Core Values Model in Promoting Effective Work Behavior and Habits,” which emphasizes the core values as the foundation for cultivating a professional and integrity-driven work culture. The examination was chaired by Promoter Prof. Dr. Ir. Harmein Nasution, MSIE, and also featured Prof. Dr. Rika Ampuh Hadiguna, ST., MT., IPU from Universitas Andalas as an external examiner.

Open Defense Session for Aburrozzaq

Meanwhile, Erwin, who is also a faculty member of the Undergraduate Program in Industrial Engineering at Universitas Sumatera Utara, presented his dissertation titled “Job Transformation and Organizational Transformation and Their Relationship with Organizational Performance.” His research highlights the importance of adaptive job information design in supporting organizational transformation and enhancing performance. Like Aburrozzaq, Erwin was also supervised by Prof. Harmein Nasution and was externally examined by Prof. Togar Simatupang from Institut Teknologi Bandung, who also serves as the Secretary General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.

Open Defense Session for Erwin

The presence of Prof. Togar in a dual capacity, as a scientific examiner and a high-ranking official of the ministry, added both academic weight and a sense of pride to the academic community of USU. This open doctoral examination marks a significant milestone in the contribution of USU’s Doctoral Program in Industrial Engineering to the advancement of industrial engineering knowledge and organizational governance in Indonesia.