The 2026 Sports and Arts Week (PORSENI) and Madrasah Expo organized by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Kabupaten Serang served not only as a platform for madrasah students to showcase their talents in sports and the arts. Amid the vibrant event, Universitas Terbuka (UT) Serang took the opportunity to expand access to higher education by introducing its academic programs and flexible learning system.
Held at Darunnajah 14 Islamic Boarding School in Pabuaran, Kabupaten Serang, the outreach targeted approximately 2,500 participants, including madrasah principals, teachers, civil servants (ASN), and senior madrasah students. UT Serang’s participation was part of a collaboration with the Madrasah Education Section (Penma) of the Kabupaten Serang Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs to broaden public access to information about higher education.
The collaboration is expected to create greater opportunities for the community, particularly those within the madrasah environment, to pursue higher education without leaving their primary responsibilities. Through its adaptive learning system, UT Serang aims to provide higher education options that are accessible to people from various backgrounds according to their individual needs and circumstances.
Head of the Madrasah Education Section (Penma) of the Kabupaten Serang Ministry of Religious Affairs, M. Harusman Rinaldi, said that UT Serang’s participation is part of a strategy to expand access to higher education information, particularly for educators and madrasah graduates who require a flexible learning system that allows them to study from anywhere.
“We want information about higher education to reach every madrasah in Kabupaten Serang, so that both teachers and students have more opportunities to continue their education,” he said.
At the Madrasah Expo, UT Serang operated an information booth introducing a wide range of academic programs, from Diploma and Bachelor’s degrees to Master’s and Doctoral programs. These programs are offered through the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), and the Faculty of Law, Social Sciences, and Political Sciences (FHISIP).
The outreach extended beyond students preparing for life after graduation. Supervising teachers, Madrasah Working Groups (KKM), and civil servants within the Ministry of Religious Affairs were also introduced to the various academic pathways and study programs available through UT’s flexible learning system.
Support for expanding educational access also came from the Head of the Kabupaten Serang Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, H. Uesul Qurni. Addressing PORSENI participants, he encouraged both teachers and students to use the opportunity to begin planning their future through higher education.
According to him, building high-quality human resources requires more than excellence in sports or the arts. A commitment to continuous learning and competency development is equally essential for meeting future challenges. He therefore encouraged participants to consider the academic programs offered by UT Serang as one of their options when planning their educational journey.
A similar message was conveyed by the Head of the Madrasah Education Division of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of Banten Province, Khairul Umam. He emphasized that PORSENI is more than a competition, but it is a platform for discovering and nurturing the best potential of madrasah students.
Khairul praised the event hosted by Darunnajah 14 Islamic Boarding School in Pabuaran for bringing together thousands of participants from madrasahs across Kabupaten Serang. He also noted that the winners of PORSENI will represent Kabupaten Serang at the Banten Province Madrasah Light Competition (MLC), scheduled to take place from July 27 to 31, 2026.
Meanwhile, Event Chair Hidayat Muslih and Secretary M. Syaefi explained that UT Serang’s academic program outreach would run for three days alongside the PORSENI and Madrasah Expo activities.
Beyond the excitement of the competition, the collaboration between UT Serang and the Kabupaten Serang Ministry of Religious Affairs carried a broader purpose. Every piece of information shared with participants was intended not only to introduce university options but also to reinforce the belief that higher education is accessible to everyone, including teachers who continue to teach while studying and madrasah graduates who aspire to pursue further education. The initiative also reflects a commitment to advancing SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by promoting more inclusive and equitable access to higher education.
