Jokowi Calls The Government To Facilitate Cooperation With EUA To Realize Yogyakarta NU University

President Jokowi at the opening of the Alim Ulama National Conference and the 2023 NU Grand Conference at the Al Hamid Islamic Boarding School, Cipayung, East Jakarta, Monday (18/9/2023). (ANTARA/Andi Firdaus).

JAKARTA - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) is facilitating bilateral cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to realize the construction of twin nine-story buildings at Nahdlatul Ulama University (UNU) Yogyakarta.

"The government supports improving the quality of education at NU," said Jokowi when opening the National Conference (Munas) of Alim Ulama and the 2023 Nahdlatul Ulama Grand Conference at the Al Hamid Islamic Boarding School, Cipayung, East Jakarta, Monday 18 September, reported by Antara.

One form of support provided by the government is realizing the wishes of the General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board, Yahya Cholil Staquf, to realize the development of UNU in Yogyakarta.

President Jokowi said that the construction of the UNU Yogyakarta Building, which has been underway since the last year, has completed a nine-story building.

The floor levels of the UNU Yogyakarta Building, said Jokowi, have an important philosophy for the NU extended family which represents the nine most popular figures who propagated Islam, namely the Sembilan Wali (Wali Songo).

"The height of nine floors is important and at that time I didn't want to negotiate. It had to be nine floors, because the number nine is important for NU. NU is nine stars, nine is Wali Songo, Songo is nine," he said.

Even though the new building is still in the final stages of installing interiors and furniture, said President Jokowi, Nahdiyin has already started using it.

"Even though it hasn't been inaugurated, it means it's productive. It hasn't been inaugurated and it's already being used. But it's not just the building that's important, what's important is the program," said President Jokowi.

Apart from that, President Jokowi is also actively involved in expanding UNU Yogyakarta's educational facilities through diplomatic strategies at the G20 Summit in India.

President Jokowi expressed the UAE's interest in building a nine-story additional building for the MBZ School of Future Studies.

"Just two weeks ago I also spoke again with His Excellency Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) at the G20 India Summit. I spoke for half an hour, I touched on this issue (UNU Yogyakarta) again," he said.

To Jokowi, the third President of the UAE confirmed that bilateral cooperation in the form of construction of an additional nine-story building within UNU Yogyakarta was in progress.

According to President Jokowi, MBZ will send UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohammed Faraj Al Mazroui to Indonesia to further discuss the UNU Yogyakarta development project.

"So currently we are facilitating UNU Yogyakarya to collaborate with EUA and the establishment of the MBZ School of Future Studies is in process," he said.

President Jokowi hopes that this twin building collaboration will be able to represent Indonesia's closeness to the Islamic world.

"I ask that UNU Yogyakarta can become a locomotive that attracts many NU higher education institutions to study science and technology, to compete to become professionals, to compete to become entrepreneurs, to become entrepreneurs and remain firmly rooted in NU," he said. President Jokowi was greeted by applause from the audience.