Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI) North Sumatra has officially established a strategic partnership with the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara (FISIP USU), through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), which was held at the FISIP USU Theater Hall. This collaboration serves as an important foundation for strengthening synergy between higher education institutions and the civil society movement to produce knowledge and participatory research, as well as strengthen advocacy on energy transition and climate justice issues in North Sumatra. The Dean of FISIP USU, Dr. Hatta Ridho, S.Sos., MSP, together with the Executive Director of WALHI North Sumatra, Rianda Purba, reaffirmed their joint commitment to making comprehensive data a key pillar in formulating public policies that support environmental sustainability and human rights.

As a concrete manifestation of the partnership, the agenda continued with a Workshop on Civil Society Capacity Development entitled Participatory Action Research (PAR), which took place on Friday (September 18, 2026). Carrying the spirit of the "Just Energy Transition Learning Hub," the training series featured FISIP USU academics Dr. Sri Alem Br Sembiring and Dr. Wina Khairina, as well as Chairperson of AJI Medan, Tonggo Simangunsong, to equip dozens of representatives of local communities, activists, and students. Through mastery of action research methodologies and data journalism skills, civil society is now being transformed from merely an object into an active subject capable of processing field findings into sharp, verified, and impactful advocacy narratives for the public and policymakers.

FISIP USU PUBLIC RELATIONS TEAM

Medan, September 17, 2026