Kuala Tanjung — 3 November 2026, the USU Faculty of Engineering attended the Grand Final of the Transformation Improvement Summit (TIS) 2026, organized by PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Persero) at the Ballroom of PT INALUM (Persero). The participation of the USU Faculty of Engineering in this event was part of its efforts to expand academic interaction with the industrial sector and provide lecturers and students with firsthand experience in observing the development of innovations within a company.

At the event, the Dean of the USU Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Dr. Ir. Renita Manurung, M.T., served as a panelist and judge at the Grand Final of TIS 2026.

In addition to the Dean, the USU Faculty of Engineering was represented by Dr. Adri Huda, S.Si., from the Mining Engineering Study Program and Ahmad Zikri, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., from the Mechanical Engineering Study Program. The lecturers' participation in this event created opportunities for discussions with industry practitioners while providing an academic perspective on various innovations and improvement approaches developed by INALUM personnel.

Eight students from various study programs also participated in the event: Naufal Fasha (Environmental Engineering), Mhd Faiz Niffari (Mechanical Engineering), OK M Indralana Chalid (Industrial Engineering), Samudera Nur Muhammad (Civil Engineering), Hidayatullah Al Rasyid (Electrical Engineering), Muhammad Ariel Ananda Putra Sihaloho (Mining Engineering), Nurhidayah Munthe (Architecture), and Muhammad Affan Zain Siregar (Logistics Engineering).

The Transformation Improvement Summit is an annual event organized by the Process Engineering Division of PT INALUM (Persero) as a platform to promote a culture of innovation and knowledge sharing within the company and its subsidiaries. Through this forum, participants present creative ideas, improvement projects, and innovations developed to support process and performance improvements in the industrial sector.

The students' participation provided an opportunity to observe firsthand how ideas and innovations are developed in an industrial context. Through the finalists' presentations, students gained insights into the processes of identifying problems, formulating solutions, implementing improvements, and presenting innovation outcomes within a corporate environment.

At the event, PT INALUM (Persero) also introduced its plans for the future development of TIS. While previous editions focused on competitions among INALUM personnel and subsidiary employees, the next edition is planned to open opportunities for teams from schools and universities to participate in TIS 2027. This presents new opportunities for students to bring their innovative ideas to a forum more closely connected to industrial needs and practices.

The participation of the USU Faculty of Engineering in TIS 2026 marked an opportunity to strengthen ties between higher education institutions and industry, not only through ceremonial activities but also through the exchange of ideas, exposure to innovation practices, and exploration of collaboration opportunities that can be developed sustainably.

This activity is also related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 – Quality Education, through learning based on industrial experience; SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, through the development of a culture of innovation and process improvement; and SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals, through strengthening relationships between higher education institutions and the industrial sector.