Umla steps onto the global stage through a collaboration with UUM, discussing curriculum benchmarking and the COIL program that enriches students' international competencies.

The University of Muhammadiyah Lamongan (Umla), through its Office of International Affairs (KUI), continues to strengthen its strategic steps towards the internationalization of higher education. On Wednesday (September 25, 2025), Umla held a virtual meeting with the Islamic Business School, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) via the Zoom Meeting platform. This meeting served as an important discussion platform for international collaboration, specifically curriculum benchmarking to Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) standards and the development of the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) program between Umla's Sharia Economics Study Program and one of UUM's study programs.

Curriculum and Global Competence Dialogue This activity was attended by Umla's leadership, including Vice Rector I Dr. Arifal Aris; Head of KUI Dias Tiara Putri Utomo, M.Pd.; Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Suyitno, M.M.; Elvina Assadam, Head of the Sharia Economics Study Program; and Faricha Maf'ula, Secretary of the Study Program. Prof. Dr. Selamah, along with several academics from the Islamic Business School (UUM), welcomed the collaborative initiative. In her remarks, Dias Tiara Putri Utomo emphasized that benchmarking with institutions that have adopted AACSB standards is a strategic step to improve the academic quality and competitiveness of Umla graduates. "This collaboration not only opens up opportunities for curriculum alignment but also strengthens students' international competencies through cross-border learning experiences," Dias explained.

UUM's Enthusiasm for the COIL Program UUM expressed enthusiasm for the COIL plan, which allows Umla and UUM students to participate in online learning together on contemporary sharia economics themes. Furthermore, the two parties discussed curriculum structure, teaching methods, and evaluation systems that can be effectively integrated. The discussion was interactive, covering the benchmarking stages, the alignment of learning outcomes, and the COIL implementation strategy, which is expected to enrich the quality of lectures and expand international academic networks.

Follow-up and Commitment As a follow-up, Umla and UUM agreed to form a cross-university working team. This team will draft a formal cooperation document and design the COIL module, ready for implementation in the coming semester. This meeting affirmed Umla's commitment to expanding its international network and making the Sharia Economics curriculum an adaptive, collaborative, and globally standardized educational model.

Journalist Anggaeta Tegar, Editor Mohammad Nurfatoni Source: https://tagar.co/umla-dan-uum-kuatkan-jejaring-akademik-lewat-benchmarking-dan-coil