Pesantren Urged to Develop Santri Entrepreneurship
Pesantren urged to strengthen their economic role through the development of technology-based enterprises and entrepreneurship. Strengthening business capacity is considered essential so that religious educational institutions can build economic self-reliance amid digital change and evolving markets.
The effort was realised through a community service programme run by the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at Universitas Mercu Buana (UMB) at Pondok Pesantren Madinah Al Hijrah, Pandeglang, Banten, on Sunday 17 May 2026.
The programme, titled ‘Strengthening the Economic Self-Reliance of Pesantren and the Dhuafa through Financial and Accounting Literacy, Digital Marketing, and Soft Skills Development based on Integrated Farming’, was attended by around 80 santri. Participants received training in business skills, accounting, and digital marketing to develop pesantren enterprises autonomously and sustainably.
This activity forms part of a domestic, autonomous cooperation programme for 2025–2026 funded by the Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat (LPPM) of UMB.
Representing the leadership of Pondok Pesantren Madinah Al Hijrah, Ustaz Feri Febriadi said that mastery of technology and business literacy has become a vital need for santri in the face of economic change. ‘The santri must be able to enhance their knowledge and sharpen their capabilities to improve their ventures by implementing new innovations so that they become technology-literate santri with knowledge of accounting in order to advance the pesantren in the years ahead,’ Feri said in a press release, Tuesday 19 May 2026.
In the training, the santri received materials on halal product literacy, transactions based on the sharia-based murabaha contract, strategies for determining cost of goods sold and selling prices, the preparation of simple financial statements, and the strengthening of branding for the pesantren’s agricultural products.
Participants also received digital marketing and public speaking training to help expand product marketing while increasing the competitiveness of pesantren businesses in the digital economy era.
UMB’s FEB says that strengthening the pesantren economy requires an integrated approach through financial management, business development, and utilisation of digital technology so that pesantren can build a self-sustaining business ecosystem.
This activity also represents a university effort to broaden the social impact of higher education through community empowerment based on competencies and field needs.
The programme features eight FEB UMB academic speakers, including Safira on literacy and awareness of halal product consumption for santri; Shinta Melzatia on murabaha-based sale transactions; Fitri Indriawati on pricing strategies for cost of production and selling price; Mariyam Chairunisa on understanding simple accounting for social entities based on Integrated Farming; Minanari on financial management training for pesantren startups; Garin Pratiwi Solehati on strengthening branding and packaging of agricultural products.
In addition, Yennida Parmariza provided content on Smart Santripreneur and digital marketing; and Vidya Ayu Diporini discussed financial literacy and public speaking as foundations for young santri entrepreneurs.