Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo (UMPWR) – Universitas Muhammadiyah Purworejo (UMPWR) continues to support the development of student entrepreneurship, including by encouraging students to showcase their work and businesses on the national stage. This support was demonstrated when UMPWR Rector, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Teguh Wibowo, M.Pd., visited the Dehiera booth at KMI Expo XVII 2026 at Universitas Jenderal Soedirman (Unsoed) on Wednesday (30/9/2026).
Dehiera is a team from the Student Entrepreneurship Development Program (P2MW) at UMPWR that successfully qualified for KMI Expo XVII 2026. At the event, Dehiera presented a product titled “Threads of Batik and Whispers of Embroidery,” a fashion business that combines traditional batik with embroidery.
The product reflects the students’ creativity in developing culture-based fashion products. Beyond creating a fashion product, Dehiera also seeks to add value by combining batik and embroidery into the fashion designs they develop.
The Rector’s visit was part of the university’s support for students who are gaining experience and competing at the national level. It also provided an opportunity for the university leadership to see the students’ business development firsthand and hear about their experiences during KMI Expo.
“We are certainly proud of and appreciate our students for having the courage to bring their work and business to the national stage. This is not simply about participating in an exhibition or competition, but also about learning how to build a business, identify opportunities, and develop products that offer added value,” said the UMPWR Rector.
He added that participating in events such as KMI Expo provides students with valuable opportunities to learn directly beyond the classroom.
“We hope this experience will not end when KMI Expo is over. What Dehiera has built can continue to grow into a sustainable business that brings benefits to both the students and the wider community,” he added.
In addition to visiting Dehiera, the UMPWR Rector also attended the Higher Education Leaders’ Forum for KMI Expo XVII 2026 Participants, held at Graha Widyatama, Unsoed.
The forum provided an opportunity for participating universities and the Directorate of Learning and Student Affairs (Belmawa) to share ideas and experiences on the development of student entrepreneurship. Discussions focused on how student entrepreneurship programs can go beyond producing products or businesses during the program and support their continued growth afterward.
In his remarks, Vice Rector III for Student Affairs at Unsoed, Roy Andreas, S.Si., M.Si., Ph.D stated that KMI Expo XVII 2026 involved 395 business groups from 219 higher education institutions.
He also highlighted four key points conveyed by the Acting Rector of Unsoed to Belmawa concerning the development of student entrepreneurship programs.
First, business sustainability. Universities need not only to encourage students to create businesses and products, but also to consider how those businesses can continue operating and growing.
Second, academic recognition, so that student entrepreneurship activities can also receive recognition as part of the higher education learning process.
Third, collaboration, including with industries, state-owned enterprises, local governments, investors, and other stakeholders who can support the development of student businesses.
Fourth, program governance, so that student entrepreneurship programs can be implemented more effectively and generate a broader impact.
For UMPWR, these discussions are in line with the university’s efforts to encourage students to develop not only academic competencies, but also the confidence and initiative to create opportunities and build businesses.
The UMPWR Rector emphasized that students’ participation in KMI Expo is an important part of their learning process.
“Student entrepreneurship should be viewed as a process. Students learn how to develop ideas, create products, market them, receive feedback, and think about business sustainability. The university has a responsibility to provide the space and support needed for that process to continue growing,” he said.
Through its participation in KMI Expo XVII 2026, UMPWR hopes that more students will have the confidence to turn their ideas into creative works and businesses that generate economic value while also carrying the identity and potential of local culture.
