Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) welcomed a delegation from Universiti Malaya, Malaysia (UMM) in the context of an international seminar on ilmu falak (Islamic astronomy), held at the VIP Room of the UMSU Campus on Jalan Muchtar Basri No. 3, Medan, from Tuesday to Wednesday (25–26/11).
The event was officially opened by the Rector of UMSU, Prof. Dr. Agussani, MAP, represented by Vice Rector I of UMSU, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Arifin, M.Hum. The program was complemented by a visiting professor session, a sharing session, and a visit to the UMSU Observatory of Ilmu Falak.
Associate Professor Dr. Mohd Saiful Anwar from the Department of Fiqh and Usul and Applied Sciences, Academy of Islamic Studies, stated that UMM views UMSU as a strategic partner because both institutions share the same enthusiasm and vision in advancing the quality of global education.
“We share the same vision and mission, which is to become a global-level university. Matching funds enable us to conduct research and publications, and this is something we need to do together,” he explained.
He also emphasized UMM’s readiness to accept UMSU students and to expand academic cooperation in the field of ilmu falak.
“We came here because we see UMSU as similar to us. We chose UMSU as a partner because we see a strong sense of togetherness, including the many innovative developments from UMSU seen on social media,” he added.
Dr. Mohd Saiful expressed his hope that this collaboration would provide broader opportunities for academic development for students from both countries.
Previously, Vice Rector I of UMSU, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Arifin, M.Hum, stated that cooperation between Indonesia and Malaysia, particularly with UMM, has been long established and continues to grow across various fields.
“This is a commitment for UMSU, especially as we are moving toward becoming a world-class university. Currently, we have around 80 international students, and we send more than 2,000 students abroad every year,” he emphasized.
On the same occasion, he also expressed his appreciation for the presence of the UMM delegation and noted that the UMSU Observatory of Ilmu Falak (OIF) has gained national and international attention.
“This is part of UMSU’s efforts to introduce itself to the international community. Thank you to the UMM team. Our Observatory of Ilmu Falak has been visited by both national and international institutions; even NASA has been there,” said the Vice Rector I.
The International Seminar served as a momentum for UMSU and UMM to expand international synergy and strengthen scholarly contributions at the global level, particularly in the fields of astronomy and ilmu falak.
The event was also attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies (FAI) of UMSU, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zailani, MA; the Head of the OIF, Dr. Arwin Juli Rahmadi Butar-Butar, MA; speakers from UMM, Dr. Nurulhuda Binti Ahmad Zaki and Dr. Mohammaddin Bin Abdul Niri; 30 UMM students; and 50 students from the Faculty of Islamic Studies of UMSU.
