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| School of Creative Digital Communication (SCDC) Becomes a Proud Center of Excellence for the Communication Science Program at UMM (Photo: Special) |
The Rector of Muhammadiyah Malang University (UMM), Prof. Nazarudin Malik, praised the Center of Excellence (CoE) within the Communication Science Study Program. He emphasized that by adopting a creative name like the School of Creative Digital Communication (SCDC), it symbolizes a commitment to innovation that is hard to replicate. “Creativity means unimitated; it cannot be copied,” he asserted.
According to the rector, SCDC embodies uniqueness and distinctiveness. “The CoE SCDC has unique qualities that set it apart, providing resilience and strong growth potential. This will create sustainability based on creativity,” Nazar remarked during the inauguration of SCDC Batch 3 at Rayz Hotel UMM on Monday, September 23.
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During the event, Nazar provided insights to 80 SCDC participants. They included 40 new participants in the Social Media for Branding class who will begin their studies this semester and intern in the following semester. The remaining 40 participants had completed the same class last semester and are eligible to receive certificates.
The rector reminded all CoEs at UMM to adhere firmly to the values of Muhammadiyah. This means that all the strengths within this campus should be driven by a solid foundation of faith and good deeds. He noted that the manifestation of a person's faith should be reflected in their actions, even if they do not always result in economic benefits.
He also encouraged the Communication Science Program at UMM to continue excelling in project-based learning and case studies. “At UMM, this mode of learning has been developed long before the mandatory outcome-based education (OBE) curriculum,” Nazar stated.
The inauguration moment was also used for the transition of the SCDC leadership from Widiya Yutanti to Arum Martikasari. Widiya mentioned that although there were not many changes to the curriculum structure and industry partnerships, this SCDC has seen an increase in interest, prompting a more selective process for determining eligible participants for this elite class.
“Additionally, we evaluated our industry partners. Some collaborations were extended, some had to be terminated, and we also welcomed new partnerships,” said Widiya, who is also the head of the Communication Laboratory at UMM.
On the other hand, Arum explained that SCDC rigorously implements its curriculum, which is a product of collaboration between the study program and industry partners. Classes at SCDC are taught through a collaboration of internal lecturers and practitioners. Besides lectures and lab work, SCDC participants are placed in various units at UMM, UMM’s business units, and Muhammadiyah charitable organizations to practice social media optimization. “In the next semester, students will undergo a full semester internship at partner companies and institutions,” Arum detailed.
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Unlike other Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) programs, where students receive a conversion of 20 SKS credits, those at SCDC will have access to specialized courses. “There are six distinct courses from the regular program that students are entitled to: Research for Social Media, Social Media Structure, Social Media Strategy, Digital Marketing Performance, Project Management, Social Media Optimization Practice, and Internship on Social Media Optimization,” she explained.
The Head of the Communication Program at UMM, Nasrullah, emphasized that the CoE in his program was built from the awareness of addressing the challenges of change in the communication field. He stated that it is impossible to avoid the digital realm today. To excel in competition, creativity is essential. “The strength of UMM Communication students lies in their creativity; I believe they are the most creative. That’s why the uniqueness of our program now is creative digital communication,” he concluded. (*/Fajr)
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