UMS and Unismuh Makassar Join Forces to Strengthen PTMA Credibility

Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) continues to strengthen its role as a national reference campus for Muhammadiyah and ‘Aisyiyah Universities (PTMA). This commitment was realized through a goodwill visit from Universitas Muhammadiyah (Unismuh) Makassar to UMS on Thursday (16/10/2025), aimed at enhancing institutional synergy and sharing management strategies in the fields of new student admissions and academic administration.

The meeting served as an important momentum for both institutions to develop an adaptive, transparent, and progressive governance model focused on increasing public trust in advanced Islamic higher education in Indonesia.

Vice Rector I of UMS, Prof. Ihwan Susila, S.E., M.Si., Ph.D., warmly welcomed the delegation from Unismuh Makassar, led by Dr. Muhammad Akhir, S.Pd., M.Pd., who serves as the Head of the New Student Admissions Office (LPMB).

In his remarks, Ihwan emphasized the importance of synergy among PTMA institutions in strengthening a credible and excellent Muhammadiyah education ecosystem. “Building public trust in educational services is not an easy task. Therefore, we warmly welcome this visit as an opportunity to share experiences and strategies in strengthening the branding and reputation of Muhammadiyah and ‘Aisyiyah universities,” he said.

Vice Rector I of UMS, Prof. Ihwan Susila, S.E., M.Si., Ph.D. (fourth from left), together with the UMS delegation, welcomed the Unismuh Makassar delegation at the BPH Meeting Room, 6th floor of the Siti Walidah Main Building, on 16 October 2025. Doc. UMS Public Relations.

Ihwan explained that the discussion focused on strengthening the admission system and academic administration, which serve as the main pillars for improving the quality of higher education services. UMS also introduced the university’s new tagline, “Islami, Mencerahkan, Unggul, Mendunia, and Sustainable” (I’M UMS), representing the values of Islamic character, academic excellence, and sustainability.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Akhir expressed his deep appreciation for the warm welcome from UMS and praised the university as a model in governance and quality development among Muhammadiyah and ‘Aisyiyah universities in Indonesia.

“Our Rector advised that the first university we should visit is UMS, because for us, UMS is not only a role model for Unismuh Makassar but also for all Muhammadiyah and ‘Aisyiyah universities across Indonesia,” he said.

He added that Unismuh Makassar is currently undergoing institutional restructuring to strengthen its new student admission system and campus promotion efforts. “We want to learn a lot from UMS about promotion strategies, services, and building public trust in higher education. We believe that collaborations like this will strengthen the entire PTMA ecosystem,” said Muhammad Akhir.

In addition to sharing best practices, the two universities also discussed the results of Unismuh Makassar’s internal research, which revealed that public interest in Muhammadiyah universities remains high despite growing competition from state universities. This finding indicates that the reputation and excellence of PTMA institutions continue to be a major attraction for prospective students.

The meeting between UMS and Unismuh Makassar reflected a spirit of progressive collaboration to build an excellent and sustainable Islamic higher education system. This partnership also forms part of the joint effort to strengthen the implementation of the Tri Dharma Perguruan Tinggi, particularly in education, research, and community service.

Through this synergy, UMS reaffirmed its commitment to being a progressive university that excels not only at the national level but also competes globally, driving positive transformation across the PTMA network throughout Indonesia.

Writer: Alvian Rizki Prasetya

Editor: Maysali Sudarwati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid