XVIII MTQMN Visitation: Prof. Said Agil Praises ULM’s Readiness as a National Host
BANJARBARU – Lambung Mangkurat University (ULM) has been officially designated as the host of the XVIII National Student Qur’an Recitation Competition (MTQMN) in 2025, which will be held from October 5–9. This decision was confirmed following a venue visit and site plan review by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology’s Student Leadership Team (Belmawa) and the MTQMN Panel of Judges, which will take place from August 27–28, 2025.
ULM Rector, Prof. Dr. Ahmad, S.E., M.Si., expressed his appreciation for the full support from various parties, including the local government and the private sector, in preparing for this prestigious national event.
“God willing, the funding for the 2025 MTQMN has been carefully prepared, both internally by ULM, the local government, and through the ministry. We also thank the South Kalimantan Provincial Government and the business community for their moral and material support,” he said.
Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology’s Student Association (Belmawa) team, led by Alamul Huda, expressed satisfaction with ULM’s readiness. “We have visited various venues, from the Banjarbaru campus for the opening and closing ceremonies, to several faculties in Banjarmasin. Belmawa made no mistake in choosing ULM as the host for this year’s MTQMN,” he said.
The Chief Justice, Prof. Dr. H. Said Agil Husin Al Munawwar, MA, also expressed his appreciation. “ULM is very worthy of hosting. The committee’s hard work is evident. We are optimistic that the 2025 MTQMN will run smoothly,” he said.
The 18th MTQMN 2025 will involve approximately 1,500 students from 194 universities across Indonesia who have passed the pre-national selection. The total number of attendees is estimated to reach 3,000–4,000, including chaperones. Fifteen competitions will be held, ranging from tartil (literacy), tahfidz (memorization), syarhil (study), to scientific disciplines such as Quran app design and Arabic-English debate.
As host, ULM has prepared the main venue on the Banjarbaru Campus, as well as several competition locations at the Faculty of Economics and Business, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, the Faculty of Engineering, and the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education in Banjarmasin. The Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Alumni, Rusmin, emphasized technical readiness and cross-stakeholder coordination.
“We just need to strengthen coordination with the local government so that the pick-up process for the delegation can be as lively as the previous POMNAS (National Islamic University of Muhammadiyah) event,” he explained.
The selection of ULM as host of the 18th MTQMN is a significant achievement for ULM and South Kalimantan. This event is expected to not only be a competition platform, but also a real effort to ground the Qur’an among students while strengthening ULM’s image as a leading university in central Indonesia.
