Ponorogo, East Java — The Faculty of Economics and Business at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (FEB UIII) recently launched the SantriPreneur Academy, a seminar and workshop designed to cultivate entrepreneurship and social innovation among santri (Islamic boarding school students). Held at the Baitul Mukhlisin Mosque in Ponorogo on September 26–27, 2025, the event carried the theme “Incubation of Santri Socialpreneurs Based on Islamic Philanthropy.”

The program was initiated by Assoc. Prof. M. Luthfi Hamidi, Ph.D, Head of the MA in Economics Program at FEB UIII, with the support of three PhD students in Economics—Haryani S. Hartono, Ananta Hagabean, and Abdul Karim Amin—as part of their commitment to advancing Islamic Economics and social entrepreneurship in Indonesia. The initiative aimed to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset rooted in Islamic ethics, social justice, and philanthropy among students (santri) of pesantren (Islamic boarding schools).

The participants came from seven pesantren across the Madiun and Ponorogo areas, including the ones from UIN Ponorogo. Among the participating institutions were Pesantren Muhammadiyah Boarding School Putra Ponorogo, Pesantren KH. Syamsudin Ponorogo, Pondok Pesantren Al-Iman, and Pondok Pesantren Subulul Huda Madiun. The event was held in collaboration with UIN Kiai Ageng Muhammad Besari Ponorogo and BankZISKA Ponorogo, with support from BAZNAS Ponorogo.

The two-day program featured a series of interactive seminars and hands-on workshops. During the seminar sessions, participants gained insights into the development of social business ideas grounded in Islamic values, financial literacy, and micro-business management. They also learned about transforming from recipient (mustahik) to donor (muzakki), utilizing Islamic philanthropic instruments for alternative financing, and building a business model using the Business Model Canvas (BMC).

The sessions were led by Assoc. Prof. M. Luthfi Hamidi, Ph.D, Dr. Agus Edi Sumanto, M.Sc, Dr. M. Asvin Abdur Rohman, M.Pd, and Faruq Ahmad Futaqi, M.E., along with contributions from UIII PhD students Ananta Hagabean and Abdul Karim Amin. Haryani S. Hartono served as moderator and business idea reviewer throughout the event.

In the workshop segment, participants were guided to discover and develop business ideas that align with Islamic values and generate social impact. Divided into groups representing their respective pesantren, they designed business models using the BMC framework and presented them to a panel of evaluators for feedback.

The santri participants expressed great enthusiasm and appreciation for the event. “I’m fortunate to join this workshop as I now understand how to create and develop a business model from scratch,” said Ihsanul Mahmudi from Pesantren KH. Syamsudin Ponorogo. Another participant, Nabila from Pesantren Aisyiyah Qur’anic Boarding School Ponorogo, shared, “I gained a lot of new knowledge, and the event was well organized. I’m truly satisfied.”

Seven groups presented their final business proposals, which were evaluated based on creativity, social impact, feasibility, and relevance to their pesantren’s context. After careful consideration, three groups were selected as winners. The first prize went to Pondok Pesantren Subulul Huda Madiun with their proposal “Multimedia for Santri,” followed by Pondok Pesantren Al-Iman Putra Ponorogo with “Marketplace for Santri,” and Pesantren KH. Syamsudin Ponorogo with their innovative culinary project “Nasi Timoer,” which transforms traditional tiwul (cassava-based food) into a signature dish of Ponorogo.

The SantriPreneur Academy embodies FEB UIII’s dedication to empowering santri communities with the knowledge and tools to thrive as socially responsible entrepreneurs. Through initiatives like this, UIII continues to strengthen the role of Islamic boarding schools as centers of both spiritual and economic development—nurturing a new generation of santri leaders who merge faith with innovation for the betterment of society.