Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo (UMPWR) has once again demonstrated its commitment to strengthening internationalization through the implementation of its collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). This collaboration was concretely realized through the appointment of four UMPWR lecturers as international judges in FIISME 2026 (Festival of Innovation in Science, Mathematics and Education) and the International Innovation Competition in Education (IICE) 2026, organized by UTM Malaysia on June 24, 2026.
The four UMPWR lecturers honored with this international role are Prof. Dr. Suyitno, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jeki Wibawanti, Dr. Arif Maftukhin, and Dr. Nila Kurniasih.
Their appointment reflects international recognition of the academic competence, research experience, and contributions of UMPWR lecturers in the fields of education, innovation, and scientific development. In this competition, the judges were responsible for evaluating various educational innovation projects submitted by participants from different countries based on several criteria, including the quality of ideas, level of innovation, impact, poster quality, and presentation quality.
UMPWR Rector, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Teguh Wibowo, M.Pd., expressed his appreciation for the trust given by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to UMPWR lecturers.
“This trust is evidence that the quality of human resources at Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo is increasingly recognized at the international level. We hope that the involvement of our lecturers as international judges will expand global academic networks and strengthen UMPWR’s reputation as a university actively engaged in international collaboration,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Vice Rector IV for Cooperation and AIK, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tusino, M.Pd., B.I., stated that the participation of UMPWR lecturers as international judges represents a tangible implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and various collaborative programs that have been established with UTM.
In addition to strengthening institutional relations between the two universities, this activity also opens broader opportunities for collaboration in joint research, academic exchange, international publications, and the development of technology-based educational innovations.
Through its participation in international academic activities such as this, UMPWR continues to expand its contribution to the global academic community while supporting the university’s vision of becoming an excellent institution with international competitiveness and the ability to create positive impacts for society and the world of education.
