The international conference is part of an ongoing academic and internationalisation collaboration between the Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, and the Master's Program in Management (MM) Program, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia. According to the official UiTM invitation dated 6 August 2026, the collaboration encompasses academic and internationalisation activities, including the International Academic Collaboration (IAC) Program and an international conference, and continues the successful implementation of collaborative activities in 2024 and 2025.
As a co-organizer, MM USU plays a strategic role in supporting the joint implementation of an international conference that brings together academic perspectives across institutions and countries. The conference provides a platform for knowledge exchange, research networking, institutional relationship building, and the exploration of broader academic collaboration.
The focus on digitalisation and sustainable social sciences is highly relevant to contemporary development challenges. Digitalisation is not only about technology adoption, but also about how knowledge, innovation, governance, and collaboration can be leveraged to create broader social impact. The conference therefore provides an important space for academic dialogue on digital transformation while maintaining a strong orientation toward sustainability and social benefit.
Master's Program in Management USU’s participation in the 3rd IJCDSS 2026 can also be framed within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. SDG 17 highlights the importance of strengthening partnerships to achieve sustainable development. In the higher education context, international partnerships serve as a mechanism for connecting institutions, academics, researchers, knowledge, and resources across countries to generate shared contributions.
The collaboration between the Master's Program in Management USU and UiTM demonstrates how institutional partnerships can be translated into concrete joint academic activities. An international joint conference creates opportunities for academic capacity building, knowledge exchange, research networking, and the development of further collaboration in education, research, and international academic engagement.
For the Master's Program in Management at USU, serving as a co-organizer of the 3rd IJCDSS 2026 represents part of its broader effort to strengthen university internationalisation and global engagement. The initiative is expected to create added value for the academic community while expanding USU’s contribution to a collaborative, innovative, and sustainability-oriented academic ecosystem.
Looking ahead, the partnership is expected to continue through joint academic programs, collaborative research, scientific publications, academic mobility, and other forms of international cooperation. In this regard, the 3rd IJCDSS 2026 is not merely a conference, but also a momentum for strengthening sustainable partnerships between higher education institutions in Indonesia and Malaysia.