Inaugurating Darunnajah University, Vice President: Four Steps of Active Role in Education Sector to Respond to the Contemporary Challenges

Jakarta, wapresri.go.id – Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has endowed humans with intellectual and thoughts to build civilization. This human potential will be optimal with education. Education will also maintain the continuity of individual abilities and competitive levels. Therefore, in order to respond to the demands of the times and meet the needs of this community, an active role in education sector is needed, through four steps.

“First, I ask Darunnajah University to provide inclusive and quality education for all,” said Vice President (VP) K.H. Ma’ruf Amin in a video broadcast at the International Conference of Islamic Boarding School Administrators in Southeast Asia and the Inauguration of Darunnajah University in Jakarta, Monday (07/11/2022).

Second, the education sector (one of them at the university level) must be able to develop individual skills and talents which are actually prepared to advance the economy and reduce poverty in the country. In the future, individuals who are produced through education at this university are expected to become a qualified workforce in facing various challenges in the working world.

“Currently, our vision is no longer at the national level, but we want to create a competitive workforce at the global level. I hope Darunnajah University can become one of the institutions capable of meeting this target. From Darunnajah, professionals and experts are born that are needed by the country,” the VP explained.

Third, the VP assessed that, with the network they have, universities have access to the development of global knowledge that can be taken and used for advancement in the country. This advantage must also be utilized as best as possible in order to create graduates who master science and technology and innovate continuously.

“For this reason, Darunnajah University must develop the widest possible cooperation with other institutions, both at home and abroad,” the VP urged.

Meanwhile, from a scientific perspective, apart from creating competitive graduates through science, Darunnajah University is also required to be able to educate its graduates to become pious individuals through religious knowledge. With the balance of the two sciences, the individuals created will have strong capital in building the country and can become ambassadors in the spread of moderate Islamic teachings.

“Fourth, as a pesantren-based higher education institution, I hope that Darunnajah University will contribute to the development and dissemination of moderate Islamic sciences (al-‘ulum asyar’iyah), so that Indonesia can become a reference for wasathiyah Islam for the world,” stated the VP.

Closing his remarks, the VP hopes that in the future, all efforts made by Darunnajah University in enriching education in the country can continue to bring Indonesian civilization to a better direction.

“Inshaa Allah, this endeavor will lead and guide Darunnajah students and Islamic Boarding students (santri) to become a pious, intelligent, skilled and independent generation in realizing the progress of Muslim civilization and the da’wah of Islam rahmatan lil alamin in our beloved country of Indonesia,” concluded the VP.

Previously, the Head of Darunnajah Islamic Boarding School Sofwan Manaf explained the history of the establishment of Darunnajah University whose spirit started in 1942 from a school called Madrasah Islamiyah to become a university in 2022. He also expressed his commitment that Darunnajah University will continue to implement the spirit of the founders of Darunnajah Islamic Boarding School in educating superb human resources through the teaching and learning process conducted at Darunnajah University.

“We still hold to the mandate from the founder of the Darunnajah Islamic Boarding School how to make Darunnajah an educational institution that helps the Muslim community and helps the Indonesian people educate their cadres so that they become future leaders,” added Sofwan.

In addition to the Head of Darunnajah Islamic Boarding School, also present at this event were the Vice Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly Hidayat Nur Wahid, the Chairman of the Indonesian Mosque Council and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Darunnajah University H.M. Jusuf Kalla, the Leader of the Darussalam Gontor Modern Islamic Boarding School Hasan Abdullah Sahal, the Academic Community of Darunnajah University and the Kiai of Islamic Boarding Schools throughout Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, the VP was accompanied by the Head of the Vice President’s Secretariat Ahmad Erani Yustika, Deputy for Human Development Policy Support and Development Equity Suprayoga Hadi, and Special Staff for the VP Masduki Baidlowi and Masykuri Abdillah. (NN/LHS, BPMI – Setwapres)