House speaker opens NU sudents association congress

Jombang, NU Online
House of Representatives speaker Marzuki Ali opened the Student Executive Board (BEM) congress of Nahdlatul Ulama universities (PTNU) which was held at the Darul Ulum University (Unipdu), Peterongan, Jombang, on Sunday (8/7). The fourth Congress was attended by some 70 representatives of PTNU across Indonesia.<>

In his speech, Marzuki called for the importance of university graduates, especially (those graduated from) Islamic boarding school to give more contribution to society.

"In pesantren, the students could freely choose any educational discipline, whether it is sufism or other disciplines. But clearly those who graduated from pesantren should be beneficial to the community," Marzuki said.

He also called on the university and pesantren students to broaden knowlegde instead of thinking rigidly. "Pesantren teaches many sciences, like Unipdu that is also a university."

The congress was also be attended by general chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH said Aqil Siradj, a number of NU academes such as Dr Nur Rahmat and Ali Maskur Musa (chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama Students Association / ISNU), East Java Governor Soekarwo.

Muzani, one of the organizing committees, said that the congress was expected to contribute to NU higher education institutions.

"Because so far NU-owned higher education institutions have remained discredited," he said, adding that the NU universities must have the same position as state ones.

Contributor : Muslim Abdurrahman
Editor : Sudarto Murtaufiq