Prof Mirza Tabrani Appointed as Rector of Syiah Kuala University

Banda Aceh — Prof Mirza Tabrani has officially assumed office as Rector of Syiah Kuala University (USK) for the 2026-2031 term following the oath-taking ceremony and inauguration held at the AAC Dayan Dawood Building, Darussalam Campus, Banda Aceh, on Monday.

The oath-taking and inauguration ceremony was led by Dr Safrizal ZA, Chairman of USK’s Board of Trustees (MWA). The event was attended by Prof Khairul Munadi, Director General of Higher Education at the Ministry of Science, Higher Education, Science and Technology.

Chairman of USK’s Board of Trustees Safrizal ZA congratulated Prof Mirza Tabrani on his new position and expressed gratitude for the leadership of his predecessor, Prof Marwan.

“We are grateful that the democratic system at USK has matured, as the process of selecting the USK Rector proceeded smoothly, peacefully and constructively. This achievement is a history that should be a source of pride for the USK academic community,” he said.

He also commended the previous rector’s leadership for laying strong foundations during USK’s transition to becoming a State-Owned Legal Entity University (PTN BH).

On this occasion, Safrizal recounted the history of USK’s founding figures. The name Universitas Syiah Kuala was chosen because the campus founders wished to affirm that USK represents a continuation of an intellectual tradition that has thrived for centuries in Aceh. This is a tradition that integrates faith and knowledge, religion and science, and local roots with universal values. From this emerged the characterisation that USK is “the Heart of the Acehnese People”.

“The pulse of USK is the pulse of Acehnese life. The progress of this campus must be felt in every corner of the Land of Serambi Mekkah,” said Safrizal ZA.

He reminded the USK leadership that the challenges ahead are quite complex. The campus must be able to deliver tangible benefits to society whilst maintaining its dignity as a higher education institution.

“The Rector must be able to balance sacred academic freedom with strict administrative efficiency, and navigate a complex environment for rapid change,” said Safrizal ZA.