Banten – Rector of Universitas Syeikh Nawawi Banten (USNB), Hj. Siti Haniatunnisa, LLB., MH., officially opened USNB’s First Anniversary Week along with the MSME Festival and Asian Halal Culinary Fair in Jenggot Village on Saturday, December 7, 2024.
The opening ceremony was symbolized by the striking of a gong in front of invited guests and festival visitors.
The theme for USNB’s first year as a university was “Innovation and Creativity to Achieve Excellence, Serving the Nation.”
According to the Rector, the festival reflects USNB’s commitment to supporting MSMEs and promoting halal food within the community.
The MSME and Asian Halal Culinary Festival was held from December 7–11, 2024, featuring participants from various MSMEs and culinary vendors representing Asian countries. Among the featured dishes were Kimbab from South Korea, Dimsum from China, and Bakso and Pempek from Indonesia.
In organizing this anniversary event, USNB also embraced inclusivity by collaborating with the disability community. T-shirts for the organizing committee were produced by Rumah Inklusi, a social enterprise based in Kebumen, Central Java.

“USNB’s support aims to foster care, independence, and empowerment for Indonesia’s disabled communities,” said the Rector.

The First Anniversary Week also included a series of events such as book reviews, international seminars, entrepreneurship seminars, academic proceedings, competitions, and a fun walk.
Among the competitions held were Musabaqah Tilawatil Quran (MTQ), Musabaqah Syahril Quran (MSQ), Kitab Reading, Religious Speech, Futsal, and Badminton. Participants came from various regions across Indonesia, including Bandung and Malang.
To enliven the celebration, USNB invited rising Islamic singer Ai Khadijah from Bandung, who performed live to entertain visitors at the MSME and Halal Culinary Festival.
The Rector expressed hope that the positive response from the public would help USNB grow and become more widely recognized. Through collaboration with various stakeholders, USNB aims to build a strong reputation both nationally and internationally.

“May USNB’s vision and mission be realized in the future. Of course, achieving this requires a consistent collective effort,” she said.

At the same event, the Rector also led a prayer for the people of Sukabumi and Medan, who were recently affected by floods and landslides.
She hoped that all those impacted would face the disaster with patience and strong faith.