Polibatam Promotes the Modernization of Pesantren and Madrasas in the AI Era and Introduces the 2027/2028 New Student Admissions
BATAM – In commemoration of National Santri Day 2026, Politeknik Negeri Batam (Polibatam), in collaboration with the Batam City Branch of Nahdlatul Ulama (PCNU Batam), organized a National Seminar entitled “Modernization of Pesantren and Madrasas in the Era of Artificial Intelligence (AI)”, which was also held in conjunction with the 2027/2028 Politeknik Negeri Batam New Student Admissions Information Session, on Friday, October 23, 2026.
The event, held at the Auditorium on the 2nd Floor of the Priyono Eko Sanyoto (PES) Building at Politeknik Negeri Batam, served as an educational and discussion forum on the importance of preparing pesantren and madrasas to respond to technological developments, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), while maintaining their character, Islamic values, and educational identity.
The seminar was attended by approximately 400 santri and students from MAN 1 Batam, MAN 2 Batam, MAN Insan Cendekia, Islamic junior high schools (MTs), Islamic senior high schools (Madrasah Aliyah), and various Islamic boarding schools across Batam City. Participants showed strong enthusiasm throughout the event, particularly during discussions on AI development and its potential applications in education.
The event was attended by Dr. H. Muhammad Zaenudin, S.Si., M.Sc., Vice Director III of Politeknik Negeri Batam and Chairman of PCNU Batam City, who delivered welcoming remarks to the participants. The seminar was officially opened by Dr. H. Zoztafia, S.Ag., M.Pd.I., Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Riau Islands Province.
The event was expected to serve as an important momentum to strengthen the readiness of santri and Islamic educational institutions in responding to the challenges of a rapidly changing era. Technological development needs to be approached openly and adaptively while remaining firmly grounded in religious values, ethics, and character, which have long been the key strengths of pesantren and madrasah education.
The National Seminar featured keynote speakers and resource persons from various backgrounds, including KH. Abdul Ghoffar Rozin, M.Ed., Deputy Chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) and Special Staff to the President of the Republic of Indonesia for the 2017–2019 period; Dr. H. Basnang Said, S.Ag., M.Ag., Director General of Pesantren at the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia; Prof. Dr. H. Abdul Mustaqim, S.Ag., M.Ag., Professor at UIN Sunan Kalijaga and pesantren practitioner; Ari Nugrahanto, Program Director of Infinite Learning; and Mir’atul Khusna Mufida, Ph.D., Lecturer at Politeknik Negeri Batam.
The speakers shared various perspectives on educational transformation amid the rapid development of digital technology. Artificial Intelligence has significant potential to support learning processes, competency development, access to knowledge resources, and improvements in educational management. However, its use must also be accompanied by digital literacy, critical thinking skills, ethics, and a strong sense of responsibility.
Through the seminar, participants were also encouraged to understand that the modernization of pesantren and madrasas does not mean abandoning the values and traditions that have shaped the identity of Islamic education. Instead, technological developments can be utilized to strengthen the quality of education, broaden students’ perspectives, and prepare santri with competencies relevant to current and future needs.
In addition to the National Seminar, the event also featured the 2027/2028 Politeknik Negeri Batam New Student Admissions Information Session. Through this session, santri and students received information about opportunities to pursue higher education at Polibatam, available study programs, the institution’s Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach, and various opportunities for competency development during their studies.
The admissions information session was expected to broaden students’ understanding of higher education options after completing secondary school, particularly vocational higher education, which has strong links to industry needs and technological developments.
The collaboration between Polibatam and PCNU Batam City also reflected a strong synergy among higher education institutions, religious organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies in preparing a younger generation equipped not only with technological competencies but also with strong character, ethics, and religious values.
Through the National Seminar “Modernization of Pesantren and Madrasas in the Era of Artificial Intelligence (AI)”, Polibatam hopes that santri and students will become better prepared to face the digital era and utilize AI wisely, productively, and responsibly.
This event also reflects Politeknik Negeri Batam’s continued commitment to fostering collaboration and contributing to the development of high-quality human resources in Batam City and the Riau Islands Province, particularly in preparing a younger generation that is adaptive to technological developments and ready to face future challenges.
Greetings from Polibatam!
#Polibatam #KampusPBL #NationalSantriDay2026 #NationalSantriDay #NationalSeminar #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Pesantren #Madrasah #Santri #PCNUBatam #MinistryOfReligiousAffairs #NewStudentAdmissions #PolibatamAdmissions #PoliteknikNegeriBatam