Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) recently became a hot trending topic in cyberspace. Right on Sunday, (10/16), UMS Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Sofyan Anif, M.Sc., announced that UMS will open a branch campus in South Korea. The branch campus in South Korea is the result of a cooperative extension between UMS and Tongmyong University. “Alhamdulillah, we have much greater cooperation, not only the extension of the collaboration contract among universities. Interestingly, the Chancellor of Tongmyong University specifically offered to open a university in Busan,” he explained. The news, of course, became a historic moment not only for UMS but also for Muhammadiyah Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs), because it will be the first Muhammadiyah campus in Red Ginseng country.

The President of the Republic of Indonesia Joko Widodo (Jokowi) directly appreciated the establishment of the UMS branch campus at Tongmyong University, Busan. “I hope that UMS will produce great talents who actively provide solutions to the social issue to accelerate Indonesia’s improvement,” said Jokowi online on the 64th Anniversary of UMS, Monday (24/10/2022). The President also advised UMS to encourage the advancement of education in Indonesia. Human resources who master science, technology, and art are currently needed to serve humanity, society, nation, and state. It is in line with the educational philosophy of UM Surakarta, namely Humanization, Liberation, and Transcendence, so that UM Surakarta can meet these demands.

At the 64th commemoration, Prof. Sofyan Anif was also grateful for their achievements. He mentioned that it could not be separated from the quality and trust given by the community both from home and abroad. Prof. Chun Ho Hwan, President of Tongmyong University (TU) Republic of Korea, in his speech, also discussed the spirit of KH Ahmad Dahlan who brought Muhammadiyah supporting education in Indonesia. He also mentioned that Indonesia is the most generous country in the world, illustrated by the donations and volunteers. “This spirit encourages people to believe that ‘gotong royong‘ (cooperation) can overcome the problems that occur,” he concluded.

The previous collaborative programs between TU and UMS, including student exchanges, lecturer exchanges, and the double degree program have now become even more developed. The strategies were also summarized in the Tongmyong Campus Master to conduct learning activities. In addition, several programs will be developed jointly between Tongmyong University and UM Surakarta with the spirit of Gotong Royong. After his scientific oration, it was followed by the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between UMS and Tongmyong University.