26 May 2025
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FMIPA Public Relations – The Master’s and Doctoral Program in Mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU), hosted the 2025 International Conference on Frontiers in Operational Research and Applied Mathematics (FORAM). The event took place in a hybrid format at the USU Digital Library Convention Building (DLCB) on Thursday and Friday, May 22–23, 2025. This marks the first time the conference is held under the new name “FORAM.”
With the theme “Bridging the Gap Between Theoretical Advancements and Practical Applications that Address Real-World Challenges,” the conference was designed as an academic response to increasingly complex global issues—from climate change to digital transformation.
Prof. Dr. Eng. Himsar Ambarita, ST., MT., Director of USU's Directorate of Internationalization and Global Partnership, opened the event with a powerful message on the importance of aligning scientific foundations with real-world needs. He emphasized that FORAM should serve as a cross-disciplinary platform for collaboration among scholars, professionals, and policymakers. “We live in an era of global complexity—climate crises, food security, and economic disruption. Science, especially operational research and applied mathematics, must be a bridge to solutions, not just theoretical discussions,” he stated.
Prof. Himsar further emphasized that FORAM 2025 is part of USU’s ongoing strategy to strengthen its international presence and commitment to producing impactful, data-driven research. “This event reflects USU’s efforts to generate innovations that are both academically excellent and socially relevant,” he added. Although this was the fourth edition of the conference series—previously known as “InteriOR”—FORAM 2025 marked a new chapter with a broader academic scope.
Conference chair Prof. Dr. Elvina Herawati, M.Si., explained that the rebranding reflects the expanded focus—from strictly operational research to a more integrated approach with applied mathematics. “We aim to highlight the significance of applied mathematical approaches in addressing real-world problems, moving beyond theoretical boundaries,” she said.
The conference attracted active participation from both domestic and international academics, with over 50 scientific presentations delivered through seminars, discussions, and poster sessions.
Four countries were represented at FORAM 2025, reinforcing its role as a transnational scientific forum and academic exchange platform. Several Indonesian institutions also participated—both onsite and online—including ITB, UNAIR, UGM, and Universitas Brawijaya.
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