Ministry of Religious Affairs Partners with Shopee to Hold Digitalization Training to Strengthen Islamic Boarding School MSMEs

The Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) of the Republic of Indonesia has taken a strategic step in accelerating digital transformation within Islamic boarding schools (pesantren). Through a collaborative program, Kemenag held training to increase human resource capacity and utilize digital technology, targeting thousands of pesantren Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from various regions in Indonesia.

The activity, themed "Training of Trainers (ToT) Kampus UMKM Shopee," took place online on July 22-23, 2026. This training was divided into two main focuses: a special ToT session for hundreds of pesantren business unit managers, and an MSME training class attended by at least 1,000 business actors in the pesantren ecosystem. All materials were delivered by professional instructors certified by the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP) through the Kampus UMKM Shopee Instructor Academy.

The Director of Diniyah Education and Islamic Boarding Schools at Kemenag, Basnang Said, emphasized that the development of the pesantren economy must not stop at the provision of capital and physical infrastructure alone. According to him, business literacy, managerial skills, and the adoption of digital technology are the main pillars for pesantren business units to level up and expand their market share to the national level.

Basnang added that building a business ecosystem within pesantren carries a sustainable social mission. These business units are expected not only to be profit-oriented but also to become engines of economic empowerment for the community, creators of new jobs, and supporters of education funds for students (santri).

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Policy at Shopee Indonesia, Radityo Triatmojo, expressed his commitment to continuing to support the digitalization of local MSMEs, particularly in the pesantren sector. He hopes that the alumni of this training can share the knowledge they gained with the wider community, creating a positive multiplier effect for the economic independence of pesantren in the country.