EduAsiaNews, Medan — The Faculty of Engineering at Medan State University (Unimed) held the 8th Annual Conference of Engineering and Implementation on Vocational Education (ACEIVE) 2026 at the Emerald Garden International Hotel in Medan on Thursday (Sept. 17).
The event was officially opened by Unimed Rector, represented by Vice Rector for Planning, Finance and General Affairs Dr. Winsyahputra, S.Pd., M.Si. Also in attendance were the chair and secretary of the university senate, deans, the director of the postgraduate program and heads of various university institutions.
The hybrid event, held both onsite and online, brought together 300 participants from Indonesia and abroad, including speakers, presenters, lecturers and students.
The seminar featured four international speakers: Mohd Fairusham bin Ghazali of Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Malaysia; Dr. Ir. Rozanna Dewi, S.T., of Malikussaleh University in Aceh; Dr. Chiara Murgia of the University of Melbourne, Australia; and Dr. Vandith Va, deputy director at Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation.
The speakers discussed strategic issues in vocational education, including energy transformation through future-ready technical and vocational education and training (TVET); the integration of taro-starch-based plastics to support global food security and climate change mitigation; personalized and precision nutrition; and building trust through accreditation to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In his remarks, Winsyahputra said rapid technological advances, the development of artificial intelligence and the changing demands of the labor market posed challenges for vocational education.
“Vocational education must prepare graduates who are creative, adaptable, innovative, ethical and ready to compete globally. ACEIVE 2026 provides an important forum for academics, researchers, practitioners and students to share findings, exchange ideas and build collaborations,” he said.
He expressed hope that the conference would generate innovative ideas, meaningful discussions and sustainable collaborations to advance education, industry and society.
(Unimed Public Relations)
