MAN 1 Pidie Students Win International Robotics Competition, Ministry of Religious Affairs Prepares LPDP Scholarships
The Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia has expressed high appreciation for the international achievement of the Mulieng Robotics Team from Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 1 Pidie, Aceh Province. The senior secondary school secured four titles at the 16th World Robotic Training and Competition (IRTC) held in Malaysia and Singapore from 26 to 29 June.
The appreciation was conveyed by the Minister of Religious Affairs’ Expert Staff for Law and Human Rights, Faisal Ali Hasyim, on Monday (6/7). He expressed pride in the Mulieng Robotics Team’s accomplishment, which has brought honour to Indonesian students on the global stage. In the competition, MAN 1 Pidie successfully claimed four prestigious titles.
The achievement was the result of the hard work of a team comprising six members: Muhammad Thaifuri (Team Leader and Head of MAN 1 Pidie), Safri Ali (Coach), and four talented students: Askiya Humaira, Habibi Azzarrar, Muhammad Rizki, and Ryas Juan Koddafi.
‘I give my appreciation to the MAN 1 Pidie Robotics Team. This certainly shows that the quality of education is increasingly evenly distributed to the regions. If previously the benchmark for madrasa achievement was mostly in Java, it turns out that with determination and seriousness, children in Aceh can also achieve proud accomplishments on the international stage,’ said Faisal Ali Hasyim.
Faisal, who is a native of Tiro, Pidie Regency, hopes this achievement will motivate other madrasa students throughout Indonesia. He affirmed the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ commitment to ensuring that MAN 1 Pidie can become a role model for other madrasas in Aceh.
As a form of ongoing support, Faisal explained that the Ministry of Religious Affairs, through the Centre for Religious and Religious Education Financing (Puspenma), has collaborated with the Ministry of Finance’s Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) to provide a scholarship programme. ‘The Ministry of Religious Affairs, through the LPDP Puspenma, has prepared the ’Beasiswa Indonesia Bangkit’ for MAN graduates who gain admission to top universities, both domestic and international. Of course, this is for those who meet the requirements and pass the selection tests,’ Faisal stated.
This Puspenma scholarship is fully funded, covering tuition fees, living expenses, and other supporting facilities. The programme is open to various levels of education, from undergraduate (Santri and Religious Excellence pathways) to postgraduate and doctoral degrees for the general public, lecturers, teachers, and employees within the Ministry of Religious Affairs.