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The Master of Accounting (MAKSI) Study Program, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) held a Curriculum Review for the Master of Accounting Study Program (MAKSI) on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, in Meeting Room 1, Soeharno TS Building, FEB UNS. On this occasion, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fahmi Sheikh Hassan from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) joined virtually to review the MAKSI curriculum.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Bhimo Rizky Samudro, S.E., M.Si., Ph.D., Dean of FEB UNS, welcomed and expressed his gratitude to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fahmi Sheikh Hassan for taking the time to attend the curriculum review session. “Currently, our faculty has achieved the “Excellent” category from LAMEMBA and is ranked 350th in Asia. Nevertheless, we still require reviews and suggestions from external parties to gain fresh perspectives that will help us enhance our quality,” said Prof. Bhimo.

He further noted that an external review would greatly assist the program in identifying areas for improvement as future development targets. Prof. Bhimo also hoped that the discussion would yield new perspectives and insights from Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fahmi Sheikh Hassan, particularly considering that UPM has successfully obtained AACSB accreditation.

Serving as moderator, Nasyi’ah Hasanah Purnomowati, S.E., M.Sc., Ak., stated that the aim of the event was to gather feedback and recommendations from relevant stakeholders, including the external reviewer present. She expressed her hope that the suggestions provided would offer valuable input for improving the quality of teaching and learning activities, contribute to curriculum development, and serve as a guide for achieving international quality standards.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fahmi Sheikh Hassan conveyed his appreciation for the invitation to serve as a reviewer, particularly to the Dean of FEB UNS, Prof. Bhimo. He mentioned that on this occasion, he would mainly share his experiences in conducting curriculum reviews and serving as an auditor at various universities.

He expressed his hope for an interactive session where all participants could actively engage in discussions about the MAKSI curriculum. “This opportunity will be more of a sharing session, and I am very open to any questions. I will certainly have a few questions (for the Study Program) myself, so let’s make this event as interactive as possible,” he remarked.

Lulus Kurniasih, S.E., M.Si., Ak., Ph.D., Head of the MAKSI Program and MAKSI faculty member, was actively involved in the discussion.

This curriculum review, inviting Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmad Fahmi Sheikh Hassan does not only serves to strengthen the quality of education (in line with the SDG 4: Quality Education), but also highlighting the need for international partnership to broaden academic perspective, a concrete step in achieving the SDG 17: Partnership to achieve the Goals.

Faculty members and Academic Support Staff of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), participated in the FEB UNS Employee Capacity Building activities, held on Tuesday–Wednesday, 29–30 July 2025, in Bandungan. The event aimed to foster synergy, strengthen collaboration, and enhance communication among FEB UNS’ academic community, especially between faculty members and Academic Support Staff.

The series of activities included a Sarasehan (Forum) of the Faculty Member Welfare Association (KKFE), program-level meetings for faculty member, and Academic Support Staff meeting session, as well as a gathering session with the Dean’s Office.

On the second day, the faculty and Academic Support Staff took part in outbound activities featuring various fun games designed to develop social skills, boost self-confidence, build teamwork, enhance problem-solving abilities, and improve communication. Outbound activities also served as a refreshing break from daily routines.

Opening the Sarasehan session, FEB UNS Dean, Prof. Bhimo Rizky Samudro, S.E., M.Si., Ph.D., expressed his appreciation to all faculty members and Academic Support Staff who participated.

“Thank you to everyone present — faculty members and also Academic Support Staff. I also appreciate our senior lecturers who are here today: Prof. Tulus, Bu Tyas, Pak Wartono, Pak Agustinus, and Bu Djum. Let’s take a moment to relax today and enjoy this friendly gathering. Hopefully, this will strengthen our closeness. We need solidarity and unity — supporting each other,” he said.

Prof. Bhimo also emphasized that the Dean’s Office relies on the full support and cooperation of all elements within FEB UNS. Without teamwork, the goals they have built together cannot be achieved. Meanwhile, Prof. Irwan Trinugroho, S.E., M.Sc., Ph.D., QCRO., presented the targets that need to be supported collaboratively for UNS to continue achieving excellence.

The Sarasehan session with the Dean’s Office also featured a reflective sharing session from retiring faculty members, along with the presentation of mementos to six retirees of FEB UNS lecturers: Drs. Agus Budiatmanto, M.Si., Ak., Dr. Wartono, M.Si., Ak., Dr. Setianingtyas Honggowati, M.M., Ak., Prof. Dr. Tulus Haryono, M.Ek., and Dr. Djuminah, M.Si.

This capacity building for Faculty members and academic support staff strengthen the SDG 4: quality education by improving synergy, social skill, and internal collaboration.

Meanwhile the amicable atmosphere and interpersonal skill improvement reflects the SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institution, particularly in establishing an inclusive and supporting education institution.

The Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), welcomed a benchmarking visit from the Quality Assurance Unit (GPM) of the Faculty of Economics, Universitas Tidar (UNTIDAR) Magelang, on Friday, 1 August 2025, in Meeting Room 1, Soeharno TS Building. The Dean’s Office, the Quality Assurance Unit (UPM), Heads of Divisions, and Heads of Subdivisions of FEB UNS received the leadership team and members of GPM FE UNTIDAR.

Prof. Bhimo Rizky Samudro, S.E., M.Si., Ph.D., Dean of FEB UNS, expressed his gratitude and extended a warm welcome to the delegation from FE UNTIDAR. He conveyed that FEB UNS is always open to receiving UNTIDAR, noting that in late 2024, FEB UNS also hosted a visit from the Academic Support Staff of FE UNTIDAR. He further explained that the quality assurance implementation at FEB UNS is led by the Head of UPM, Dr. Evi Gantyowati, M.Si., Ak., QA., supported by Dr. Mulyanto, M.E., as Deputy Head for Internal Quality Assurance System (SPMI), and Wahyu Trinarningsih, S.E., M.M., M.A., CFE., as Deputy Head for External Quality Assurance System (SPME), alongside the Quality Control Units in each study program.

“Quality assurance is highly important. During recent accreditation visitations for several study programs at FEB, the assessors also emphasized the significance of quality assurance. I hope that through this forum, FEB UNS and FE UNTIDAR can exchange ideas and share knowledge regarding quality assurance. Please feel free to engage in discussions; hopefully, this will be mutually beneficial,” stated Prof. Bhimo.

To enhance quality and develop the internal quality assurance system within FE UNTIDAR, Prof. Dr. Izza Mafruhah, S.E., M.Si., Dean of FE UNTIDAR, expressed appreciation to the leadership of FEB UNS for the opportunity to learn particularly about quality assurance.

“FE UNTIDAR has been established for quite some time, but it only became a state university in 2014. Therefore, most of our lecturers are relatively young, with an extraordinary enthusiasm for learning. With a predominance of younger generations, our pace is quite similar, and this potential needs to be supplemented with input from FEB UNS, which is in a far more advanced position,” remarked Prof. Izza.

She further noted that with the recent changes in the LAMEMBA accreditation system, one significant point of emphasis is internationalization. For this reason, FE UNTIDAR is learning from UNS, an institution with greater stability. The practices that FEB UNS has implemented and FE UNTIDAR has yet to adopt could serve as valuable examples.

Quality assurance is not limited to education and curriculum but also encompasses infrastructure, faculty members, and other related aspects. FEB UNS already has an established system for implementing quality assurance processes. The discussion session during the visit proceeded smoothly. The event concluded in the afternoon with a group photo session in the lobby of the Soeharno TS Building, 2nd floor.

This benchmarking visit from FE UNTIDAR for quality assurance support the SDG 4: quality education by improving academic quality system and reflecting on the SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals, by establishing institutional collaboration as a foundation to strengthen an inclusive and excellent higher education.

Gagaksipat Village, Ngemplak District, Boyolali Municipality, received special attention from the Community Engagement team of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB), Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) through a barista training program held on Friday, June 13, 2025. The training was attended by members of BUMDes Gemilang and local residents, featuring coffee practitioner Renggo Putro Widyarta as the trainer. Participants were equipped with professional coffee brewing skills, knowledge of coffee varieties, and sustainable coffee shop business management.

With the team led by Dr. Dwi Prasetyani, S.E., M.Si., CRA., CRP., with members including Danur Condro Guritno, S.E., M.E., Ph.D., Ratna Malisa Indriawati, S.E., M.E., CBEc., Vita Kartika Sari, S.E., M.Sc., Aulia Hapsari Juwita, S.E., M.E., Dr. Vinc Hadi Wiyono WS., M.A., Dr. Akhmad Daerobi, M.S., and Dr. Guntur Riyanto, M.Si. This program become part of a strategic initiative to enhance the technical skills of the community in managing coffee-related businesses professionally, while at the same time optimizing the role of BUMDes Gemilang as a driver of the local economy.

The activities covered several stages, including community needs assessment, program design, training implementation, and continuous business mentoring. Applying a participatory and empowerment-based approach, the team successfully engaged BUMDes members and Gagaksipat residents at every stage. The training, guided by professional coffee practitioner Renggo Putro Widyarta, provided participants with high-quality coffee brewing techniques, coffee business management, and adaptive marketing strategies aligned with market trends.

Beyond face-to-face sessions, the Community Engagement team also established a WhatsApp group to ensure ongoing communication and mentoring between participants and experts, supporting the independent and sustainable operation of coffee businesses. “We see tremendous potential in Gagaksipat Village, especially in the coffee sector, which is rapidly growing in Indonesia. Through this training and mentoring, we aim to empower the community not only to be consumers but also to become professional and independent coffee entrepreneurs,” said Dr. Dwi Prasetyani.

Aside from enhancing technical skills, the team also supported the optimization of BUMDes Gemilang’s basecamp as a center for education and business incubation, which had previously been underutilized. With this facility, new innovations and collaborations are expected to emerge, encouraging the growth of coffee businesses and other microenterprises in the village.

“We are committed to continuously assisting BUMDes Gemilang in developing its business, including connecting them with coffee industry stakeholders and local communities to ensure broader and sustainable market access,” explained Dr. Dwi Prasetyani.

The program also opened opportunities for new businesses aligned with current coffee trends, such as fresh milk coffee made from local ingredients and mobile coffee businesses using bicycle carts. These initiatives not only increase community income but also strengthen the role of BUMDes Gemilang as an engine of the village economy.

Moving forward, the Community Engagement team plans to continue both online and offline mentoring while expanding collaborative networks. With active community participation and consistent support from the team, Gagaksipat Village is expected to strengthen its economic independence and competitiveness in a sustainable way.

This barista training based on Desa Gagaksipat BUMDes empowerment support the SDG 4: quality education through vocational skills and professional entrepreneurship, SDG 8: decent work and economic growth, by opening opportunities for productive and sustainable business for local residents.