Universitas Darussalam Gontor (UGD) attempted to foster resources optimally so that UDG would be accredited A as UMY. The effort emerged when recognizing that UMY is a young private university achieving ‘A’ accreditation. UDG considered that Muhammadiyah as an Islamic social organization actively establishes and develops educational institutions.

The aforementioned paragraph was uttered Rector of UDG Prof. Dr. Amal Fathullah Zarkasyi M.A. He delivered his welcoming remark to Rector of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta Prof. Dr. Bambang Cipto, M.A., officials of Law Faculty, and Head of Cooperation Bureau (BKS). It was an agenda of signing Memorandum of Understanding between UDG and Law Faculty of UMY. It took place in Commission Meeting Hall of A.R. Fachruddin A of UMY on Wednesday (25/03).

It was signed by Rector of UMY Prof. Dr. Bambang Cipto, M.A. and Rector of UDG Prof. Dr. Amal Fathullah Zarkasyi M.A. as cooperation commitment in university lecturer exchange, student exchange, research, publication, double degree program, seminar, workshop, and other academic and scientific activities for 5 years.

“To be honest, we would like to gain knowledge since from thousands of private universities in Indonesia UMY is one of them achieving A. It is the aim of this agenda. We also discern that Muhammadiyah focuses on schools and universities, and we concern with Islamic boarding school. Our university could be identified as a new university so that the cooperation with Faculty of Law would be a medium of other cooperation and we expect that it could be expanded to university level,” he told.

His party was interested in UMY because Muhammadiyah-affiliated Universities accredited A were only UMY and Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM). Thus, his party admitted the interest of having cooperation with UMY especially Faculty of Law owing to the accreditation. They expressed their gratitude and courage to cooperate since UDG is accredited ‘B’ so that the cooperation is appropriately in line with the way to enhance the potential of both universities.

Moreover, Rector of UMY Bambang Cipto stated that his party was glad to accept the accepted agreement of Faculty of Law UMY and UDG. Besides an amount of academic potential could be shared with UDG, Bambang asserted that many Islamic activities could be a program of UMY and UDG.

“We warmly welcome. We are very pleased to be trusted by UDG to elevate the cooperation. I wish that UMY could learn a lot from UDG which I acknowledge UDG has very powerful international network. Young alumni of UDG had great achievement and I hope we could learn together how to manage great alumni. For instance, Chief of PP Muhammadiyah and PP Aisyiyah were included in alumni network organized by UDG. Therefore, I expect that this cooperation would run well,” he said.

Besides signing Memorandum of Understanding, Rector of UDG got an occasion to deliver public lecture attended by students of Law Faculty. The lecture was a welcome for UDG as well as the first cooperation which could be undertaken in the same time.