11 July 2025
Syafrijal S.Kom
Kutagugung Village, Naman Teran District, Karo Regency, hosted the 2025 Astacita Summit, themed "Strategic Collaboration Forum Towards the Future of Kutagugung Village: Pentahelix Integration for Real Action and Village Innovation," last Friday (July 11th). The event was an initiative of the Kutagugung Village Government, in collaboration with the Community Service Institute (LPPM) of the University of North Sumatra (USU). The event was held at the camping ground in Hamlet I of Kutagugung Village and was attended by various stakeholders, including the Deputy Regent of Karo, Commander Tarigan SP, the Head of Naman Teran District, the Head of Kutagugung Village, the Simpang Empat Police and Babinsa (village supervisory non-commissioned officer), community leaders, village youth, MSMEs, entrepreneurs around Lake Lau Kawar, the Deleng Lancuk Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes), and USU academics.
In his remarks, the Deputy Regent of Karo emphasized the Karo Regency Government's commitment to supporting the development of Kutagugung Tourism Village, particularly in the tourism and agriculture sectors. He emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration, or the Pentahelix model, involving the government, community, academics, business actors, and the media as key to building independent, prosperous, and competitive villages. The potential of Lake Lau Kawar needs to be promoted as an iconic, leading eco-tourism destination. Furthermore, the horticultural sector, as a local economic strength, must be developed in a modern, technology-based, and environmentally friendly manner. "Kutagugung Village must be a pioneer of change. Together, we will create an independent, prosperous, and competitive village, and develop non-agricultural economic sectors such as village tourism, handicrafts, and creative industries based on local potential," said Mr. Komando Tarigan.
The highlight of the event was the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Karo Regency Government, through the Kutagugung Village Government, and the University of North Sumatra's Institute for Community Empowerment and Development (LPPM USU). This collaboration will focus on mentoring programs and the comprehensive development of tourism villages. Following the signing, an award certificate was presented to the Karo Deputy Regent, along with symbolic souvenirs in the form of local agricultural products to the invited guests.
The series of activities included an interactive discussion moderated by Samerdanta Sinulingga, S.ST.Par., M.Par., from the USU Research and Development Institute (LPPM). The discussion featured Prof. Ir. Ar. Nurlisa Ginting, M.Sc., Ph.D., IAI, as the keynote speaker. It involved various stakeholders, including tourism stakeholders, MSMEs, social media activists, the North Sumatra BBKSDA (National Resources Conservation Agency), the Karo Tourism Office, the Deleng Lancuk Village-Owned Enterprise (BUMDes), and the Village Head. The discussion aimed to exchange experiences, explore innovative ideas, and develop plans for superior programs and products to be developed during the mentoring period.
The North Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BBKSDA), through the Deleng Lancuk Nature Tourism Park Resort (TWA), expressed its full support for the development of nature tourism in Kutagugung, particularly in the form of forest trekking, bird watching, and ecotourism in the Lake Lau Kawar area.
The Astacita Summit 2025 is not just a discussion forum, but rather a collaborative starting point towards transforming Kutagugung Village into an innovative and competitive tourist village, as well as a model for other villages in North Sumatra.
