PURWOKERTO — In a significant move to strengthen democratic literacy and civic engagement, Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto (UMP) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) of Banyumas Regency on Friday (Feb 13). The formal signing ceremony, which marks a major milestone for the university, took place at the UMP Central Office.
The partnership aims to advance the university’s commitment to the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, which encompasses education, research, and community service. The overarching MoU was signed directly by UMP Rector, Jebul Suroso, alongside the Chairman of Bawaslu Banyumas, Imam Arif Setiadi.
To ensure the agreement translates into concrete academic and field programs, specific Cooperative Agreements were simultaneously signed by two of UMP’s academic leaders: Indriati Amarini, Dean of the Faculty of Law, and Elly Hasan Sadeli, Dean of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP).
This strategic synergy is designed to elevate the quality of democracy education and election oversight within the academic sphere. According to the agreement, the collaborative efforts will focus on several key initiatives, including:
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Curriculum Integration: Incorporating democracy and electoral studies into teaching frameworks.
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Joint Research: Conducting collaborative studies on election dynamics and public policy.
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Community Empowerment: Launching outreach programs aimed at increasing public participation in elections.
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Scientific Forums: Organizing joint seminars, workshops, and symposiums on electoral integrity.
For UMP, this collaboration is particularly vital as it successfully secures direct pathways for its students to gain hands-on experience. Through this partnership, students will have the opportunity to actively participate in practical election supervision and field-based democratic literacy programs.
University officials expressed high optimism regarding the partnership, noting that it will greatly empower the academic community. The ultimate goal of this initiative is to produce UMP graduates who are not only academically excellent but also highly competent and actively engaged in safeguarding the nation’s democratic processes.(shan)