UMJ is encouraged to be a pioneer of academic tradition based on Islamic values.

The Open Senate Session is a Momentum for UMJ's 70th Birthday/ Photo: IST

JAKARTA - Quality education is not only measured by school participation rates, a row of accreditations, or the grandeur of campus infrastructure. It is determined by the ability of the education system to form people who think critically, have character, and are able to answer real community problems.

In the midst of rapid global changes, Indonesian education still faces serious challenges, ranging from quality gaps, weak research culture, to academic practices that are often stuck in administrative formalities.

In this context, the University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta (UMJ) held an Open Senate Session in the framework of the 70th Anniversary at the K.H. Ahmad Azhar Basyir Auditorium, Cendekia Building UMJ, Monday (15/12/2025). This seven-decade commemoration is an opportunity for reflection on the institution's journey as well as a mirror for the quality of higher education in Indonesia.

The Rector of the University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta, Prof. Dr. Ma'mun Murod, M.Si., emphasized that the 70th anniversary of UMJ should be interpreted as an institutional reflection that is oriented towards improving the quality of education.

"The 70th anniversary of the University of Muhammadiyah Jakarta is a moment of reflection on the long journey of UMJ as one of the oldest Muhammadiyah universities that continues to be committed to educating the nation's life," said Prof. Dr. Ma'mun Murod, in an official statement received by VOI, Tuesday, December 16, 2025.

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However, this reflection is relevant in the midst of the reality of national education which still faces fundamental problems. Many universities are considered to be administratively successful, but have not yet fully delivered significant academic and social impacts for the community. Higher education is still required to be more than just meeting formal standards, but also substantively answering the challenges of the times.

Member of the UMJ Daily Management Board (BPH), Prof. Dr. Din Syamsuddin, M.A., appreciated UMJ's achievements which have continued to show positive developments in recent years.

"UMJ has not only made progress in terms of physical infrastructure, but also strengthened academic quality, especially with the increase in the number of professors," he said.

However, this achievement needs to be accompanied by strengthening the quality of relevant learning and research. The increase in the number of professors and superior accreditation will lose its meaning if it does not have a direct impact on the quality of graduates, academic integrity, and a real contribution to solving social and national problems.

Representing the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership Council for Higher Education, Research, and Development (Diktilitbang), Prof. Dr. Armai Arief, M.Ag., expressed the hope that UMJ would continue to produce young people who are accomplished and competitive.

"This 70th birthday we celebrate with gratitude and happiness. Hopefully UMJ will be more successful, more widely known, and continue to produce successful and accomplished young people and students," he said.

The Chairman of the Central Leadership of Muhammadiyah, Prof. Dr. Haedar Nashir, M.Si., emphasized that UMJ as the oldest university has a moral responsibility to become a pioneer of a strong and valuable academic tradition.

"UMJ must be a center and pioneer in carrying out academic traditions, especially in strengthening and institutionalizing Islamic values and Kemuhammadiyahan as the main basis for the implementation of education," he said.

On the same occasion, the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education of the Republic of Indonesia, Prof. Dr. Abdul Mu'ti, M.Ed., stated that the age of 70 is a phase of maturity for UMJ to make a greater contribution to the development of civilization.

"The development of civilization must be based on synergy and collaboration, with education as the main key based on faith, science, art, and morals," he said.

This statement also serves as a reminder that universities are not enough just to follow changes. Higher education is required to go beyond changes through innovation, the courage to think critically, and a real contribution to society.

The 70th anniversary of UMJ is also a wider reflection for the Indonesian education world: to what extent can universities maintain quality, relevance, and value, so that education really becomes the foundation for the future of the nation's children, not just an academic routine that loses its ability to change.