MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, PURWOKERTO – President of Muhammadiyah Haedar Nashir emphasized the importance of maintaining integrity in higher education, particularly when it comes to awarding honorary academic titles. He reminded Muhammadiyah-’Aisyiyah universities to avoid giving honorary professorships without clear academic merit.
Speaking at the inauguration of Prof. Dr. Jebul Suroso, S.Kep., Ns., M.Kep., as Professor of Nursing Management at Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto (UMP) on Thursday, April 10, Haedar underscored the need for quality to accompany the growing number of professors at Muhammadiyah universities.
“With more professors, we have to see real academic excellence. It’s not just about meeting accreditation standards, but about strengthening the role of Muhammadiyah-’Aisyiyah universities in educating the nation and contributing to civilization,” said Haedar.
He firmly warned Muhammadiyah-’Aisyiyah universities not to follow the trend of carelessly granting honorary titles.
“Don’t hand out honorary professor titles just for the sake of it. A professorship is a professional and institutional position. We must protect the reputation and academic credibility of Muhammadiyah-’Aisyiyah universities. Consider this a directive from the Muhammadiyah President, even if it’s not written down yet.”
Haedar also praised the progress of Muhammadiyah higher education, highlighting that Muhammadiyah-’Aisyiyah universities now operate 20 medical faculties with excellent accreditation. However, he stressed that this success should also reflect strong performance across all core academic areas, including teaching, research, community service, and the promotion of Islamic and Muhammadiyah values.
“This level of achievement should go hand-in-hand with a meaningful contribution to national progress,” he added.
Furthermore, the inauguration of Prof. Jebul Suroso marked an important moment for UMP and Muhammadiyah universities across Indonesia. Haedar hoped that more qualified professors would continue to strengthen the role of Muhammadiyah-’Aisyiyah universities as respected institutions known for academic integrity and excellence.
