Surabaya, Friday, September 19, 2025 – The Association of Sharia Economic Students (AcSES) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) once again held the Sharia Economics Scientific Festival (FALAH) on Friday, September 19, 2025, at the Fadjar Notonagoro Hall, Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) UNAIR. This annual event officially opened with a seminar on Fiqh Muamalah Studies (KAFILAH).
In her remarks, Prof. Dr. Tika Widiastuti, SE., M.Si., as Vice Dean I of FEB UNAIR, expressed her hope that FALAH could become a collaborative platform for all stakeholders. She also appreciated the hard work of AcSES UNAIR in consistently presenting this activity as a space for collaboration and Islamic economics outreach.
Strengthening the Halal Industry
The opening ceremony also featured a keynote speech by Ir. Irvan Wahyudrajad, MMT, Head of the Regional Development Planning, Research, and Development Agency. In his presentation, he emphasized that efforts to strengthen the halal industry are ongoing through strategic programs.
Some of the programs implemented include the construction of a Slaughterhouse and Poultry Slaughterhouse with a regional budget allocation of IDR 9.23 billion which was inaugurated on August 21, 2025, halal certification for meat grinding at the Surya Mart/Rumah Daging slaughterhouse which is targeted for completion by the end of 2025, as well as the initiation of the Arimbi Halal Market which will take place in July–August 2025.
"Halal certification facilities are also provided to MSMEs and vendors at the Culinary Tourism Center (SWK) with support from the regional budget (APBD) of Rp 240 million. To date, 27,033 MSMEs have been certified halal," he said.
Muamalah Fiqh Study and Business Seminar
In addition to the keynote speech session, FALAH also began with a Fiqh Muamalah Study (KAFILAH) which presented Imam Muslim, SHI, MM, CODP (Manager of LAZNAS BMH East Java); Moch. Rizqi Aladib (Branch Manager of Dompet Dhuafa); and Prof. Dr. Imron Mawardi, SP., M.Si. (Professor of Islamic Economics, FEB UNAIR).
The discussion at KAFILAH highlighted the potential for zakat, infaq, and alms (ZIS) in Indonesia. However, many people still distribute their zakat through informal institutions, making it difficult to calculate the national zakat potential.
The series of events also featured various competitions, including a Scientific Writing Competition, an Olympiad, and a Business Plan Competition. The enthusiasm of the participants was evident in the presence of 30 finalist teams from various universities across Indonesia.
FALAH 2025 took place over two days, September 19–20, 2025, with the main agenda consisting of competition finals, seminars, talk shows, and the announcement of winners. On the second day, there was a business seminar featuring Prof. Dr. Tika Widiastuti, SE., M.Si. (Vice Dean I of FEB UNAIR) and Wildan Salim, a business practitioner.
The seminar discussed business management committed to Sharia principles, such as avoiding usury, gharar, and maysir. These principles are a crucial foundation for developing a Sharia economy. Through FALAH, AcSES UNAIR is committed to accommodating the participants' brilliant ideas while strengthening the role of students in propagating the values of Sharia economics.
The 2025 FALAH aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly by providing learning spaces, competitions, and seminars to enhance Islamic economic literacy for students. Furthermore, support for strengthening the halal industry and empowering MSMEs contributes to the development of a competitive young generation committed to inclusive and sustainable economic principles.
Author: Rizma Elyza