SEI RAMPAH – Developing a region requires more than building infrastructure. The most important foundation lies in the quality of its human resources. Driven by this spirit, the Government of Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai (Pemkab Sergai) is strengthening its synergy with the Indonesian Association of Islamic Religious Education Teachers (Asosiasi Guru Pendidikan Agama Islam Indonesia – AGPAII) of Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai and Universitas Terbuka (UT) Medan.
The commitment was reaffirmed by Vice-Regent of Serdang Bedagai H. Adlin Tambunan when he received representatives of the Regional Executive Board (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah – DPD) of AGPAII Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai and the Universitas Terbuka Medan delegation at his office at the Serdang Bedagai Regent’s Office Complex in Sei Rampah on Tuesday (4/8/2026).
The meeting was held in two sessions. The first meeting was attended by the newly appointed DPD AGPAII Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai board for the 2026–2027 term, which had received official approval from the AGPAII Regional Executive Board of Sumatra Utara. In addition to introducing its new board, AGPAII expressed its commitment to continuously improving the professionalism of Islamic Religious Education teachers while strengthening synergy with the local government to support educational development.
Responding to this commitment, Adlin Tambunan expressed his appreciation to the new AGPAII board and hoped that the organization could become a strategic partner of the Government of Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai in improving the quality of Islamic religious education through strengthening teacher competencies and implementing various programs that benefit the community.
According to him, regional development should not only be measured by the success of physical development, but also by the ability to produce excellent, well-characterized, and competent human resources. Therefore, the Government of Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai is opening broad opportunities for collaboration with professional education organizations to jointly strengthen the capacity of educators while building the character of the younger generation based on religious values.
After receiving AGPAII, Vice-Regent Adlin continued the meeting with Universitas Terbuka Medan, led by UT Medan Director Yasir Riady, S.S., M.Hum. During the meeting, UT Medan presented its institutional profile and offered opportunities for cooperation with the Government of Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai in various areas, including education, research, community service, education outreach, as well as training and seminars.
Adlin welcomed the initiative. According to him, partnerships between local governments and higher education institutions are a strategic step toward expanding access to education while improving the quality of human resources in Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai. He also emphasized that higher education institutions play an important role as government partners in strengthening the capacity of government officials and the wider community through academic activities, research, innovation, and community service. Therefore, he hoped that the communication that has been established could soon be translated into concrete work programs so that the benefits could be directly felt by the community.
The meeting was also attended by UT Medan Director Yasir Riady, S.S., M.Hum., and his delegation, Chair of the DPD AGPAII Kabupaten Serdang Bedagai Khairul Rizal, M.Pd., and members of the organization, Regent’s Expert Staff for Government, Legal, and Political Affairs Dra. Fitrianti, M.Si., as well as representatives of relevant regional government organizations.
More than simply an official meeting, the gathering marked an initial step toward building closer collaboration among the local government, professional organizations, and higher education institutions to strengthen the quality of human resources in Serdang Bedagai. Through synergy between AGPAII and UT Medan, various programs in teacher competency development, expanded access to higher education, research, and community service are expected to be implemented soon. These efforts also support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 on Quality Education and SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.
