UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang Expands MBKM Program to Malaysia

TIMESINDONESIA, JAKARTA – Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang is making strides to expand the scope of its Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program for its students. In the near future, UIN Malang students will participate in a humanitarian MBKM program in Malaysia.

MBKM is an innovative educational framework introduced by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture. The program aims to provide students with more freedom to gain knowledge and skills beyond traditional classroom settings.

Advertisement

MBKM encourages experiential learning through internships, community service, research projects, entrepreneurship, and study programs outside their home campus. This initiative supports the development of well-rounded graduates ready to face real-world challenges.

This new initiative comes as a result of UIN Malang's collaboration with several entities in Malaysia, including the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the Indonesian Rectors’ Forum (MRPTNI), and INTI International University, Malaysia.

The collaboration was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, May 20, 2024. The signing ceremony included 23 universities from across Indonesia, from Sumatra in the west to Papua in the east.

Attendees included Rossy Verona, Deputy Head of the Indonesian Representative Office in Malaysia, and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Firdaus, SP, MSi, the Education and Culture Attaché (Adikbud). The event was also witnessed by Dr. Andi Ilham Mahmud, Executive Secretary of MRPTNI, and Prof. Dr. Joseph Lee, Vice Chancellor of INTI International University.

In his remarks, Adikbud Prof. Firdaus emphasized the importance of the MoU in facilitating various academic activities and institutional development, particularly the MBKM program and internships for both students and faculty.

"Without an MoU, MBKM activities cannot be credited by the Directorate General of Higher Education (PD Dikti)," he stated.

Prof. Firdaus added that the humanitarian MBKM program is scheduled to last 3-6 months, during which students will take a 3-credit course at INTI University and spend the remaining time teaching internships at learning centers that accommodate around 2,000 children of Indonesian migrant workers.

This collaboration reflects a strong commitment from all parties to provide adequate education for the children of Indonesian migrant workers, while also strengthening academic and cultural ties between Indonesia and Malaysia.

"This education is expected to break the cycle of poverty among Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia," he concluded.

Prof. M. Zainuddin, Rector of UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, representing the Indonesian Rectors’ Forum, welcomed the Indonesian Embassy's initiative to connect Indonesian universities with INTI University and other Malaysian institutions.

"We are ready to collaborate and invite all public and private universities to support this valuable program," said Zainuddin.

The collaboration focuses not only on academic activities but also on community service. The humanitarian MBKM program aims to provide a solution for thousands of children of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia who are unable to attend school due to lack of documentation.

Meanwhile, Rossy Verona, Deputy Head of the Indonesian Representative Office in Malaysia, hopes that the MoU they signed with UIN Malang will be followed by concrete actions. "There must be clear parameters to measure the success of this program," she concluded. (*)

**) Ikuti berita terbaru TIMES Indonesia di Google News klik link ini dan jangan lupa di follow.