Banjarmasin, July 21, 2026 — The Master's Program in Management, Postgraduate School, Universitas Sumatera Utara (MM USU), conducted a benchmarking visit to the Master's Program in Management at Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) in Banjarmasin. The visit formed part of MM USU’s commitment to implementing its Internal Quality Assurance System (IQAS), particularly the Evaluation, Control, and Continuous Improvement (ECI) cycle, while strengthening its quality culture through the adoption of best practices from other higher education institutions.
The benchmarking delegation, comprising the program leadership, the Quality Assurance Team, faculty members, administrative staff, and the Curriculum Development and Accreditation Team, began the visit with welcoming remarks from the leaders of both programs. This was followed by a presentation introducing the MM ULM program, covering its organizational governance, curriculum, quality assurance system, and program development strategies. The discussion sessions focused on the implementation of the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) curriculum, monitoring of Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs), research and community engagement management, the digitalization of academic services, and preparations for accreditation.
Based on the discussions and observations, MM USU identified several best practices that will serve as valuable references for future development. These include strengthening governance through performance-based indicators, developing an OBE curriculum that is fully integrated with Program Learning Outcomes, conducting periodic curriculum evaluations using the Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach, optimizing the Internal Quality Assurance System through the ECI cycle, and enhancing academic services through the effective use of information technology.
The outcomes of this benchmarking visit will provide important input for MM USU in strengthening institutional governance, refining its OBE curriculum, and improving academic services. The visit also expanded opportunities for academic collaboration that may be further developed through joint research, scientific publications, community engagement programs, faculty exchanges, and collaborative seminars between MM USU and MM ULM.
This initiative aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 – Quality Education, by strengthening the quality of higher education; SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, by preparing innovative and globally competitive management graduates; and SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals, by fostering inter-institutional collaboration to continuously improve the quality of higher education.
The benchmarking visit also represents a concrete step toward realizing MM USU's vision of becoming a graduate program that produces innovative, globally competitive managers with meaningful social impact. At the same time, it supports the program's three core missions: delivering management education grounded in academic excellence and ethical values, producing graduates who serve as agents of change with strong competencies and competitiveness, and cultivating a culture of research and community engagement that contributes to the well-being of society.