The Youth Coastal Chairman of PSIF UMM Becomes the Special Assistant Staff of the President

 

Head of Center for Islamic Studies and Philosophy (PSIF) University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Pradana Boy ZTF joined at the State Palace. Based on the Decision Letter of Cabinet Secretary of the Republic of Indonesia (RI) no. 46 Year 2018, he will accompany Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin Special Staff of International Affair Field who is recently inaugurated by the President of RI Joko Widodo. Growing up in the middle of a simple farming family in Lamongan City, Pradana is a dignified figure of a passionate and motivation to excel continually. "What for human alive? if it is not to continue to excited and challenge yourself and to know the weaknesses themselves," said lecturer of the Shariah Study Program (Prodi) UMM.

 

While preparing himself before joining the State Palace on Saturday (28/7), Pradana shared the story of his long struggle to achieve this point. Pradana adolescents who had just graduated from high school, decided to migrate from Lamongan to study at UMM. He planned to immediately take Management Studies Program.

 

"Shari'ah is not my first choice in UMM. My innocent mind is Lamongan coastal people, just graduated from high school, management school and become manager. It's just that, but it turns out. I have to remove my intentions in the department," he explained.

 

Unexpectedly, the cost to his dreams department was quite expensive. He did not want to return to Lamongan, he decided to look for the cheapest department at UMM in order to remain in Malang and his dreamed to become a student was materialized.

 

"Find the cheapest or go home. That was my father told and made me choose Sharia," he said.

 

Did not waste the opportunity to study in college, Pradana improved his quality. He took advantage of opportunities to release his writings, ideas, and work. Unexpectedly, Pradana's work reached the American Embassy.

 

"When I am contacted by US embassy staff and invited to dinner, I just thought that I was invited to dinner at the conference," he said

 

He was very surprised to know that he was the only representative of Muhammadiyah at the dinner table of American ambassador. Pradana recalled that there were only eight people at the dinner table.

 

"I thought it was just a regular dinner. It was a special dinner party and only me from Muhammadiyah," he explained in Javanese.

 

From this dinner, the man from Mencorek Village in Lamongan was brought to have a short education in political science at University of Massachusetts, United States (US).

 

Anthropology Master's Degree in Anthropology at Australian National University (ANU) and Doctoral Education at National University of Singapore (NUS) in the field of Malay Studies does not necessarily make the son of Muhammadiyah forget his homeland. During the completion of his thesis and dissertation, the writer of this Kembara novel continues to explore the history of Islam and the civilization of the world in the archipelago. His thoughts on the development of Islam in the archipelago make him famous by the nickname of youth of moderate thought.

 

Believed to be the Assistant Special Staff of the International Field of Religion, Pradana hopes to carry this trust with the best of it. "Because this is a mandate, then I hope to finish this task till finished," he concluded. (ard)