Universitas PGRI Madiun (UNIPMA) has made history by inaugurating Prof. Dr. Drs. Muhammad Hanif, M.M., M.Pd. as Professor of Socio-Cultural Sciences at the UNIPMA Postgraduate School. The inauguration ceremony occurred at Graha Cendekia on Thursday, 22/02/2025, yesterday.

With this inauguration, Prof. Dr. Drs. Muhammad Hanif, M.M., M.Pd., became the second professor owned by UNIPMA. Previously, in 2021, Prof. Parji was inaugurated as the first professor on this campus. In his remarks, Prof. Dr Drs. Muhammad Hanif, M.M., M.Pd., said, "The academic position of professor for me is not only an honour but also a scientific responsibility that must be carried out as a lecturer."

In his inaugural speech, Prof. Dr. Drs. Muhammad Hanif, M.M., M.Pd raised a theme that is very relevant to the conditions of Indonesia's diversity, namely "Cultivating Religious Moderation in the Life of the Buddhist Village Community of Sodong Gelangkulon Sampung, Ponorogo." According to him, this research has great potential to develop theory and practice in the life of a multicultural society, which can be a reference in strengthening harmony between religious communities.

More than that, Prof. Dr. Drs. Muhammad Hanif, M.M., M.Pd., also expressed his commitment to implementing the results of his research through the Community Service (Abdimas) program. "The purpose of this Abdimas is not just theory, but more on real implementation that can be felt directly by the community, especially in improving their quality of life and economy," he added.

Achieving the title of professor was not an easy journey for this 57-year-old man. In addition to having to focus on research, Prof. Dr Drs. Muhammad Hanif, M.M., M.Pd., also had to divide his time with his family. However, his productivity is not in doubt.

To date, he has produced 11 articles published in international journals, 8 articles in international seminar proceedings, and 61 scientific works published in national journals. Not only that, he has also written 11 books and has 12 intellectual property rights (IPR). One of his well-known works is the Mars song IKIP PGRI Madiun, which has been registered with the Ministry of Law and Human Rights since 2016.

Prof. Dr. Drs. Muhammad Hanif, M.M., M.Pd., started his undergraduate education in History Education at Udayana University, Bali, then continued his Masters in Management at Satya Gama University, Jakarta. It didn't stop there, he continued his Masters studies in Social Science Education at PGRI University Yogyakarta and finally earned a Doctorate in Social Sciences at Merdeka University Malang.

Rector of UNIPMA, Dr. H. Supri Wahyudi Utomo, M.Pd., said that with the inauguration of Prof. Dr. Drs. Muhammad Hanif, M.M., M.Pd., UNIPMA now has two professors. In the future, his party is targeting three other professors to be inaugurated in 2025. "All three are ready to meet the requirements, just waiting for the proposal procedure," said Dr. H. Supri Wahyudi Utomo, M.Pd.

Furthermore, Dr H. Supri Wahyudi Utomo, M.Pd., emphasized that the presence of professors will further strengthen the quality of human resources (HR) at UNIPMA. "Professorship is the highest academic achievement. We hope that they can collaborate with other lecturers to improve the quality of education and pass on knowledge to others," he concluded.