Pekanbaru – Riau Governor, Drs H Syamsuar MSi and the Rector of Universitas Muhammadiyah Riau (UMRI) Dr H Saidul Amin MA, Wednesday (26/01) launched New-Student Admission (PMB) UMRI for 2022/2023 and Philanthropic Body of Muhammadiyah (LazisMU) office.
The launching was located in KH Ahmad Dahlan Auditorium of UMRI, Tuanku Tambusai Ujung street, Pekanbaru, by a procession of pressing the siren button and signing an inscription. On this occasion, the Riau Governor and the Rector of UMRI symbolically submitted the education assistance for 31,4 funds from LazisMu Riau to eight students. The UMRI Rector mentioned that UMRI planned to accept 3.005 new students in the current year, while the Daily Advisory Board targetted 3.500 students. However, UMRI is still insufficient for 40 classrooms to complete the target.
In his remarks, UMRI Rector mentioned this insufficiency in front of the Governor, the Chairman of Daily Advisory Board (BPH), Prof Isjoni and boards, the Secretary of Muhammadiyah Province Board, Ir Yusman Yusuf MT, all Vice-Rectors and committees, and tens of students. “This year, UMRI has planned to accept 3.005 students, but we targetted 3.500 students. This target has been conducted, but we need 40 more classrooms. Therefore, we hope Riau Governor assists us to build classrooms,” said the Rector.
Saidul Amin mentioned that they had financial limitations to construct 40 more classrooms. Therefore, UMRI needed support from other parties. “If the lecturing room construction depends on tuition fee and loan, we could. However, we look for other potential parties in Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) and State Expenditure Budget (APBN), waqf, and foreign aids. That is what we need to reach,” said the Rector.
He also highlighted that he would complete the classroom inadequacy based on waqf. It means that they who donate their financial aid to establish the classroom and their names would be portrayed in every hall. “The names might be in the name of building or classes. It could be the names of the parents of the donators,” said Saidul Amin.
On the same occasion, the Governor of Riau, Drs H Syamsuar MSi explained that based on the year of establishment in 2008, UMRI is relatively new. However, the campus has been established rapidly by standing in the big four campuses. “In its first year, it has only 5 faculties with 13 study programs, but currently, it has 8 faculties with 26 departments. At first, we had 421 students, but today, we have 13.000 students,” said Syamsuar.
He also highlighted that UMRI has made various achievements in lecturers competencies, study program accreditation, research grant, community services, lecturers scientific works, and regional-national student achievements in the rapid improvement. He also mentioned that following Riau governmental vision and mission in improving human resources, he, as Riau governor, had disbursed various financial assistances including achievement scholarship and bidik misi.
“For UMRI, we had assisted 748 students, including 310 students in bidik misi program, 346 for students with achievement, and 92 students with financial problems with the total 9,5 billion fund. It is our commitment to developing Riau education. We also assisted lecturers in further funding,” he said. For the classroom establishment proposal, Syamsuar noted that he is very supportive of the waqf program due to the lack of regulation to support at the local government level.
UMRI could accept waqf from various parties, including collaborating with private, CSR from companies and donators. “I asked UMRI to prepare the Expenditure Budget Planning and blueprint, so we can tell the donators to provide the waqf for lecturing hall,” said Syamsuar, the Governor who also the Daily Advisory Board.