UMPO Becomes an Inspiration for UM PKU Surakarta s Benchmarking Visit

UMPO.AC.ID -  Universitas Muhammadiyah Ponorogo (UMPO) welcomed a benchmarking visit from Universitas Muhammadiyah PKU Surakarta on Tuesday, December 9. The delegation of 16 people was led by UM PKU Surakarta’s Vice Rector I, Dr. Ida Untari, SKM., M.Kes.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Ida stated that the visit aimed to strengthen ties and learn from UMPO’s experience in achieving Excellent accreditation.

"Alhamdulillah, our delegation consists of 16 people. Our intention is to build friendship. Our institution grew from the AKPER academy, then became STIKES, then an institute, and finally fully transformed into a university," she said.

She added that the Rector of UM PKU Surakarta specifically recommended studying at UMPO because of its remarkable accreditation achievements.

"Our Rector asked, ‘Under the same conditions, how did UM Ponorogo achieve Excellent?’ Therefore, our Rector allowed us to learn at UMPO—ngangsu kawruh. We hope to gain valuable knowledge and experience that we can bring home to achieve Excellent accreditation," she continued.

UMPO’s Vice Rector I, Dian Suluh Kusuma Dewi, MAP, stated that the key to achieving Excellent accreditation lies in the team’s dedication to aligning documents, improving infrastructure, and fostering cohesion.

"Colleagues who want their institutions to progress just need to synchronize their documents. At UMPO, we worked regardless of dates or holidays—everything went on," she explained.

She shared that the accreditation process required creativity and full readiness, including the improvement of 27 infrastructure points in less than a month. Assessors even visited student activity units and interviewed students, including asking them to sing Sang Surya.

"Alhamdulillah, all of this paid off. In July 2024, just one week after the field assessment, we were declared Excellent," she said.

Dian also highlighted how UMPO developed the Museum of Reog—the only one in Indonesia—which has become an attraction for both assessors and campus visitors.

"It’s the blessing of APT. The idea came from our team, fully supported by the Rector and the budget. Alhamdulillah, it became an added value," she explained.

Meanwhile, UMPO’s Vice Rector III, Sugeng Wibowo, M.H., emphasized the importance of building an inclusive university image that is relevant to the wider community.

"Our campus should not only focus on the Muhammadiyah community; excellence should be emphasized. This strategy also impacts new student admissions," he explained.

He added that UMPO now aims to represent the wider Ponorogo community.

"Even the Faculty of Medicine we are developing is intended to belong to the public, not only Muhammadiyah members," he continued.

He also highlighted that Ponorogo’s local strengths, particularly the Reyog culture, are strategic assets in developing the university’s excellence.

"Local uniqueness now becomes an added value for universities to achieve distinction," he stressed.

The visit concluded with a tour of UMPO’s facilities, including the library, laboratories, clinic, and Museum of Reog, one of the campus’s proudest assets. UMPO hopes that this benchmarking visit will benefit UM PKU Surakarta in improving institutional quality and achieving Excellent accreditation.