Ketua PP Muhammadiyah Prof. HA Malik Fadjar, MSc

Prof. Dr. Malik Fadjar, Msc, the Chairman of Muhammadiyah, indicated that the importance of managing student affair the same as academic one. Both two fields were the same as two sides of currency. “Both are really important to prepare the future generation,” he said in front of hundreds audiences of National Chairman Meeting of Muhammadiyah Higher Education in the division of student affair at UMM on Saturday (25/06). 

Student of university, Malik, the former Minister of National Education once said, was elite mass to make a big change. This Republic was born not due to some rebellion in it but for the actions of those educated men. Whether their role would be happened again for the next generation, it really depend on how we built them up through student affair.   

Among Muhammadiyah Higher Education, there were a lot of complex problems we faced. Some big problems were to be our concern and project to be solved. They were; facing the government student affair policy, student government who knew the presidency, the minister, also some governors among the students itself. Such titles were not a guarantee to make student movement better.  “The appearances of those things were not substantial. We must seek for other brilliant ways to build up good civilization forward. We need to consider on the value of it whether for intra, extra, or even for student’ professional organization, that the most important thing among others,” said Malik, the former Rector of UMM.      

Furthermore, Malik asked to all participant to think about the basic and large need of huge change, in the institution, the change was intended to personnel and his action. At Muhammadiyah Higher Education, Muhammadiyah Student Association (IMM) took very important role for the change. It was not again considering on the big size of members, “but it is on the matter of being the main pillar for student affair building,” he continued.
 

Malik was very worried that student today was not fond of discussion and debate instead of having a chat at some cafes and even road without any purposes but happiness. “What contribution they would make, indeed?” asked Malik.
 

Muhammadiyah, Malik said, had a strong foundation. At Muhammadiyah Higher Education, Al-Islam and Kemuhammadiyahan (AIK) subject was applied. This means actually should develop students who were able to move up the department, subdivision, and regional Muhammadiyah around it. AIK was not only as subject but it was a mean to be applied for religious preaching.

“Muhammadiyah must be actuated from the student of Muhammadiyah Higher Education. Muhammadiyah might not move with the nonsense slogan,” said Malik. So, what kind of strategy and pattern of supervising need to be applied? It was not called as supervising anymore but as mentoring. Moreover, understanding the philosophy must be gained by the activist. For instance, student affairs organization must be campus based, not others.
 

At UMM, Dr. Muhadjir Effendy, the Rector, had his own way to apply of Muhammadiyah acts such as Field Work Experience so called as KKN Program, it was involving the department and subdivision of Muhammadiyah in remote area.
 

The Vice Rector III Drs. Joko Widodo, M.Si said that along this way, the involvement of Muhammadiyah Subdivision Chairman as the supervisor run well. He believed that Muhammadiyah Higher Education trying to be synergy by doing such kind of grassroots strategy will be applicable for all Muhammadiyah Higher Education.