Institute of Technology, Science and Health (ITS) PKU Surakarta received an award at the Solo Best Brands Indonesia (SBBI) Awards 2023 organized by SoloPos Daily in De Tjolomadoe, Thursday (16/3).

SoloPos, on this occasion, gave 74 awards divided into three categories, namely Best Brand, Best Digital Performance, and Social Value Awards. At the SBBI Awards 2023, ITS PKU Muhammadiyah Surakarta received appreciation in the Best Brand category as the Best Higher Education Institution in Health Science according to the SBBI Award.

The President Director of Solopos Media Group, Arif Budisusilo, congratulated the brand holders who were able to maintain their quality in achieving SBBI Awards 2023. “We congratulate the brands that won the award. Those who receive this award are the brands that can maintain quality and even transform in the midst of the great challenges faced so far,” said Arif Budisusilo.

In addition, he also mentioned that brands that are currently successful, could collapse. “It is still unsure that a brand that excels today will remain stable tomorrow or next month. A brand or institution can collapse for some reason. That’s why it’s important to maintain the quality of a brand,” he said.

The Rector of ITS PKU Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Weni Hastuti, M. Kes., Ph. D., expressed her gratitude for the achievements obtained by ITS PKU Muhammadiyah. “Alhamdulillah, ITS PKU Muhammadiyah Surakarta received another award as the Best Higher Education Institution in Health Science in 2023. Thank you to the ITS PKU Academic Civitas, Daily Advisory Board, and Muhammadiyah Regional Board in Surakarta, the communities and SoloPos Media Group as our partners and all parties who have collaborated to improve our branding,” said Weni Hastuti. “The award will motivate us to constantly create and innovate our programs as higher education in health science and I hope we will remain as the best choice in the communities,” said Weni Hastuti.

In the 2023 New Student Admission, Student Association of English Education Department (SAEED), STKIP Muhammadiyah Barru held an English Speech Competition for high school students in Barru at the K.H Ahmad Dahlan Hall of STKIP Muhammadiyah Barru, Wednesday (15/03).

The English Speech Competition was attended by four high school representatives in Barru, which was attended and officially opened by the Head of STKIP Muhammadiyah Barru, Dr. A. Fiptar Abdi Alam, M.Si. Also presented on this event among others the Head of English Education Study Program, Usman, S.Pd., M.Pd., Ph.D; the Head of Guidance and Counseling Study Program, Drs. H. Abd. Kahar Yunus, M.Pd; the Head of SAEED, Apriyawanto, and several invited guests from the other organizations. In his remarks, A. Fiptar hoped that the competition could be a medium to introduce STKIP Muh Barru campus to the high school students. “Hopefully, with this competition, all (high school) students can be interested in joining us on this campus. For the participants who participate in the competition, if they intend to register, insya Allah, I will provide scholarships for tuition fees until they graduate,” he added.

Usman also mentioned the English Competition was expected to motivate students in Barru to improve their language competence. It is a big achievement for SAEED, which before a year of establishment, it has been able to organize competitions involving high school students. Ismail Suardi Wekke positively responded to the competition as an effort to strengthen the network. As is known, STKIP Muhammadiyah Barru joined the Indonesian Universities Consortium on Socio-Religious Studies (IUCSRS) network of universities. “Strengthening and mastering English is a necessity. Even today, language is a science that develops fast,” concluded Ismail Suardi Wekke, IUCSRS Program Coordinator.

The Islamic Elementary School Teacher Education (PGMI) study program of Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Barat established an international cooperation with Jabatan Kecemerlangan Akademik (JKA) and Jabatan Ilmu Pendidikan (JIP) Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Raja Melewar Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia (IPGKRM) on Saturday, March 11, 2023 in B Hall, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Syafii Maarif, MA Convention Hall.

The scope of this collaboration is to produce creative children’s book, where the authors of the book come from both institutions, consisting of 5 lecturers and 4 PGMI students along with JKA and JIP pensyarah (lecturers) and students of Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Raja Melewar (IPGKRM), Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The collaboration was facilitated directly by the Institute for Cooperation and International Affairs (LKUI) UM Sumatera Barat.

In addition to establishing cooperation in the book production, on the same day, a workshop for children’s creative work books was also held which presented 19 IPGKRM lecturers and students, including Pn. Hjh. Zaharilah binti Hj Abdul Kadir as the organizer/editor of IPGKRM’s children’s creative work book; Pn. Noazima binti Wahab as the Chairperson of the IPGKRM Education Science Department. On the other hand, from UM Sumatera Barat, Khairiyah, S.IP, M.H.I was represented as LKUI Secretary; Isral Naska, MA as LKUI Coordinator and Dr. Firdaus as Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Religion. Dini Susanti, M.Pd as Head of PGMI Study Program was accompanied by several PGMI Lecturers, including Vini Wela Septiana M.Pd, Yulia Septi Wahyuni M.Pd, Sekar Harum Pratiwi M.Pd, Ridania M.Pd and Jepri Naldi M.Pd. Moreover, students and employees in the Islamic Studies Faculty were also presented.

The workshop and cooperation event was organized with a series of ceremonies and remarks from the Dean and the Coordinator of Overseas Cooperation then continued with the signing of the cooperation documents between the two parties and continued with the poetry performance by lecturers and students from PGMI UM Sumatera Barat and JIP. It ended with a photo group session.

The Chairman of the Muhammadiyah Provincial Board (PWM) DKI Jakarta, Kyai Sun’an Miskan, in addition to congratulating the graduates at the 2023 First Undergraduate Graduation of Universitas Saintek Muhammadiyah (Saintekmu), who also invited all graduates to practice the knowledge gained during lectures to the community.

“This is only the initial stage of your efforts to achieve success in the future. Immediately, practice what you obtained on campus into the community, to the workplace. It would be ideal if you can provide new job opportunities and become an independent entrepreneur,” Sun’an said in front of Saintekmu graduates.

In the Saintekmu’s first graduation which was held at the Desa Wisata Hotel, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta, Kyai Sun’an also urged Saintekmu to continue to establish good relations with the government, especially the Higher Education Service Institutes (LLDikti) Regional III DKI Jakarta. “To the Academic Civitas of Universitas Saintek Muhammadiyah, especially the Boards, continue to maintain good relations with the government, especially LLDikti Regional III, DKI Jakarta. Keep the trust, don’t forget to continuously improve the quality of human resources in the midst of intense competition among universities in the Capital City of Jakarta,” said the man who has twice served as Chairman of PWM DKI Jakarta.

In order to assist Ph.D. students to comprehend the research-based study, Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia (UMAM) organized an academic training and lecture session held on Wednesday-Tuesday (15-21/03) at the Fourth Campus of Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD). The program followed by the first batch of Ph.D program entitled “Charting the Path to Academic Excellence: Essential Tools and Techniques for First-Year Ph.D. Students”. It is expected that the lecture session can also support lecturers preparing any obstacles they will face during their Ph.D. journey. The training session also brought in experienced lecturers to provide tips, even inputs to excel in the academic world.

UMAM welcomed more than 50 of its Ph.D. candidates. The training would certainly help them to succeed in their study journey. “We are very excited to organize this training session and we will welcome the first batch of UMAM Ph.D candidates,” said Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Waluyo Adi Siswanto, the Rector of Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia. Assoc. Prof. Waluyo believed the session would provide further information to help the Ph.D candidates succeed in their academic career.

Universiti Muhammadiyah Malaysia is a private university located in Perlis, Malaysia. UMAM is committed to provide a world-class research education system to support graduates who excel in the use of technology while adhering to Islamic Values. UMAM offers various PhD programs in Business and Management, Education, Information Technology, Social Sciences and Islamic Studies. UMAM aims to produce graduates enriched with leadership qualities and high academic achievements to contribute to industry, national and global society in the future. For further information, visit umam.edu.my.

The Chairwoman of the ‘Aisyiyah Central Board (PPA), Prof. Dr. Masyitoh Chusnan, M.Ag gave appreciation to Unisa Bandung as an actual progression of ‘Aisyiyah in West Java. It is related to the existence of Universitas ‘Aisyiyah (Unisa) Bandung as one of three ‘Aisyiyah Universities under the only women’s organization in the world that own university, namely the ‘Aisyiyah Central Board.

It was Masyitoh Chusnan when delivering her remarks at the opening of the 13th Regional Congress (Musywil) of ‘Aisyiyah West Java, at the Asrilia Hotel Ballroom, Bandung, Saturday (11/03). Masyitoh Chusnan also appreciated the work programs from ‘Aisyiyah West Java, including Kuliyatul Mubalighat ‘Aisyiyah (KMA) which in two years has conducted two graduations. “It is a good program because we really need Muslim women to preach. KMA graduates are certainly ready to be spread to various regions,” said Masyitoh.

 

Distinctive features

Responding to Masyithoh Chusnan’s statement, the Chairperson of ‘Aisyiyah Provincial Board (PWA) in West Java, Dra. Ia Kurniati, M.Pd said Unisa Bandung as a service owned by the West Java is an actual proof of the progress of PWA West Java in demonstrating the characteristics of progressive women. “Alhamdulillah, Unisa Bandung received appreciation from the Chairwoman of the Aisyiyah Central Board, Prof. Dr. Masyitoh Chusnan, M.Ag. It undoubtedly becomes a prideful achievement as Unisa Bandung can illustrate the characteristics of progressive women. And, our efforts are not just empty talk,” she said in interview.

In this regard, she also said that PWA West Java will constantly improve its quality of education at Unisa Bandung. “We, from PWA West Java, will continuously advance Unisa Bandung, both in terms of quality and quantity. It is our struggle in education, especially at Unisa,” she said. At the end of the interview, she expressed her gratitude and appreciation for the support given by Unisa Bandung to succeed the 13th Regional Congress of ‘Aisyiyah.

The Chief Executive of the Regional Congress, Tuti Kusmiati S.Sos said that the Congress was held for three days, from March 10-12 by raising the theme “Progressive women, enlightening the civilization. “The congress started with a series of Musypimwil (regional leadership deliberations) on March 10, 2023 with the election of 33 permanent candidates who are brought to the final election agenda today,” said Tuti (11/03).

She also mentioned the series of Musypimwil and Musywil was carried out by e-voting which was assisted directly by the Integrated Information System (SIT) and Strategic Planning Bureau at Unisa Bandung. Based on the results of the election for 2022-2027, the new Chairwoman and Secretary of PWA West Java have been determined. The result was the re-election of Ia Kurniati as chairman and Nikmah Zaita as secretary.

Located at the Desa Wisata Hotel, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, Jakarta, Tuesday (7/3), Universitas Saintek Muhammadiyah (Saintekmu) held its first undergraduate graduation in 2023. The graduation was the first time held after the institutional transformation from STMIK Muhammadiyah Jakarta to University. In this first graduation, Saintekmu graduated 76 students from the Informatics Engineering Study Program and the Information Systems Study Program.

This graduation was attended by Kyai Sun’an Miskan, the Chairman of the Muhammadiyah Provincial Board (PWM) DKI Jakarta; Muhammad Musiyam, the Member of the Muhammadiyah Council for Higher Education Research and Development; Prita Ekasari representing the Head of the Higher Education Service Institution (LLDIKTI) Regional III, DKI Jakarta; Edy Sukardi, the Deputy Chairman of the PWM DKI Jakarta as well as the Chairman of the Daily Advisory Board, Saintekmu; Arif Budimanta, Presidential Special Staff for Economics, Nasrullah Larada, and Treasurer of the Muhammadiyah Council for Community Empowerment.

Also attending on this occasion, several rectors of Muhammadiyah Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs) in Jabodetabek, such as Lela Nurlelawati, the Rector of Universitas Teknologi Muhammadiyah Jakarta (UTMJ); Partono Siswosuharjo, the Rector of Universitas Muhammadiyah Banten, and so on. Between sessions of this graduation, the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Purwono Prihantoro as the Head of the Planning and Finance Bureau of the Vice Presidential Secretariat symbolically handed over the social assistance received directly by the Rector of Saintekmu.

In his remarks, Faiz Rafdhi mentioned his great hope for the graduates to continuously develop their knowledge and foster experience in the professional world, in order to become successful graduates and bring the good name of the alma mater and Muhammadiyah. “To the alumni, scholars, do not stop gaining knowledge and experience. The world is much wider than campus. Take a role anywhere, but don’t forget to return to the alma mater. Don’t forget to return to Muhammadiyah,” he said.

One of the world’s largest university ranking agencies, uniRank, has again released at least 580 of the best universities in Indonesia in 2023. Twenty Muhammadiyah ‘Aisyiyah Higher Education Institutions were listed by uniRank. Based on the data released through https://www.4icu.org/id/, below is the top 20 list of Muhammadiyah – ‘Aisyiyah universities of the 2023 Indonesian University Ranking:

1. Uhamka
2. UMM
3. UMY
4. UMS
5. UAD
6. UM Sumatera Utara
7. UM Ponorogo
8. UM Purworejo
9. UM Surabaya
10. Unimus
11. UMJ
12. UM Gresik
13. Umsida
14. UM Metro
15. UM Purwokerto
16. UM Makassar
17. UM Riau
18. UM Jember
19. Unisa Jogja
20. UM Palembang

UniRank™ currently includes higher education institutions worldwide that meet the following requirements:

• Officially recognized, licensed and/or accredited by a national or regional body such as the Ministry of Higher Education or a government-recognized accreditation organization. 
• Officially licensed or authorized to award at least four-year undergraduate degrees (Bachelor’s) and/or postgraduate degrees (S-2 and S-3). 
• Provides higher education courses primarily in traditional face-to-face learning formats delivered through on-site facilities.

All University and College profiles are included and updated free of charge. In addition, UniRank is an international directory of higher education as well as an online search engine that reviews and ranks over 14,000 universities in 200 countries.

The current uniRank University ranking is based upon a web algorithm using 5 web matrix measures including iREG, Alexa Global Rank, Moz Domain Authority, SimiliarWeb Global Rank, and Majestic to ensure independence. Web matrix is an algorithm that is measured, among others, based on the number of website visitors or the level of activity on the website.

This ranking has been recognized and meets 3 uniRank selection criteria. First, it is licensed and/or accredited by an Indonesian higher education-related organization. Second, it offers at least a four-year undergraduate or postgraduate (master’s or doctoral) degree. Third, it delivers courses mostly in traditional, face-to-face education formats.

Universitas Siber Muhammadiyah (SiberMu) held the first annual SiberMu Future Visit #1 event with the theme “Disruption 4.0: Chat GPT, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Immersive Technology as Opportunities Not Threats for Higher Education” at Alana Hotel Yogyakarta, Monday (13/03). This activity is a response for the rapid development of technology by exploring opportunities in overcoming educational problems in the future.

“SiberMu is the only MHEI (red: Muhammadiyah Higher Education Institution) owned by Muhammadiyah that uses a single online mode in digital operation,” said SiberMu Rector, Dr. Bambang Riyanta ST M.T in his remarks. SiberMu offers distance learning by utilizing the latest technology. He said that the establishment of SiberMu was one of the mandates from Muhammadiyah to mark Muhammadiyah’s second century in digitalization of da’wah. Thus, the SiberMu Future Visit #1 event is one step to transform the challenges and risks of technological development by utilizing great opportunities to improve the quality of education.

Responding to the Rector’s statement, the Chairman of Muhamamdiyah Central Board for Education, Culture and Sports, Prof. Irwan Akib, also agreed that SiberMu answers the current educational problems in Indonesia. Referring to KH Ahmad Dahlan’s struggle in establishing schools 100 years ago, it should reach out to the education in the next 100 years. “The spirit of SiberMu is the spirit of KH Ahmad Dahlan. It was established to answer the current challenges as well as future challenges of our education,” he explained. The utilization of technology in education is not new, but it adapts to existing conditions. Therefore, Prof. Irwan Akib emphasized that the technology utilization and the response in exploring technological opportunities are very important in education. He also advised that the promotion needs to be expanded so that it can be familiarly known throughout Indonesia.

“Technology can provide opportunities, but without criticizing it will become a threat to our future generations,” said the Head of the General Affairs of Higher Education Service Institute (LLDIKTI) Regional V, Taufiqurahman S.E. Technological advances can also create banality for the thinking ability of our future generations because technology presents an instant way that would affect criticism of students as well. In addition to utilizing technology, Taufiqurahman also advised that universities need to balance technology with character intelligence for users so it can be used properly by students. “As a student, you should not only be intellectually intelligent, but also characteristically established,” Taufiqurahman concluded.

The SiberMu Future Visit #1 is designed in an edutainment event by utilizing AI devices in several parts of the event. In this event, SiberMu also demonstrated the utilization of immersive technology through the Virtual campus visit. At the end of the event, SiberMu offered several cooperation services to the education community related to distance learning and the latest technology utilization. This event was also attended by hundreds of invited guests consisting of Muhammadiyah High/Vocational School Principals, Education Offices, Rectors of Muhammadiyah ‘Aisyiyah Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs) and other institutions through the Zoom Meeting and broadcasted through the SiberMu YouTube channel.

The 5th Provincial Congress (Musywil) of Muhammadiyah, ‘Aisyiyah, and Nasyiatul Aisyiyah North Maluku, bu raising the theme “Advancing North Maluku and Enlightening the Nation,” was officially opened by the Chairman of the Muhammadiyah Central Board (PP), Anwar Abbas, at the KH Auditorium Abdullah Tjan Hoatseng, Universitas Muhammadiyah Maluku Utara (UMMU) on Friday (10/03).

In his opening speech, the Chairman of the North Maluku Provincial Board (PWM), Ridwan M. Ilyas said that in North Maluku, Muhammadiyah is an organization with a scientific movement identity. It is reflected in the establishment of dozens of institutions engaged in education, health, and the economy to support the life of the nation. 

UMMU is an illustration of a Muhammadiyah university that has produced a big contribution to the community and local government. Ridwan Ilyas also expected that Muhammadiyah will be filled with competent cadres and progress better in the future. “Therefore, I hope that the leadership in the future will progress better for Muhammadiyah,” he said.

Echoing Ridwan Ilyas’s sentiment, Anwar Abbas also hoped that the 5th Musywil of Muhammadiyah, ‘Aisiyiah, and Nasyiatul Aisyiyah could run well and smoothly in producing enlightening and progressive decisions.

On the other hand, Secretary of Muhammadiyah Provincial Board in North Maluku, Syamsuddin Abdul Kadir mentioned Muhammadiyah’s integrity in North Maluku as a strong and superior Islamic movement in various fields of life. He hoped that the result of the 48th Muhammadiyah Congress, Risalah Islam Berkemajuan, could be actualized with the cultural values and local wisdom of North Maluku, as well as its Muhammadiyah autonomous organization in advancing the region. “We are waiting for collaborative programs of Muhammadiyah and its autonomous organization to participate in the future to advance North Maluku,” he said.

The congress was closed with the announcement of the elected chair from Muhammadiyah, ‘Aisyiyah, to Nasyiatul Aisyiyah, as follows Ishak Jamaludin, M.Pd, Ir. Srihatari M.Si, and Suryani Mansur, S.Km., M.Kes, respectively.