June 12, 2025
Contributor: Supriyono | Editor: Dadi Darmadi | Photo: Atia Adjani
AICIS, Indonesia’s premier platform for Islamic scholarship organized annually by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, is slated for 2025. Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) will host AICIS+ 2025, now reimagined as the Annual International Conference on Islam, Science, and Society. This transformation broadens its scope, enhancing its relevance to address evolving global challenges.
The decision to rebrand AICIS to AICIS+—notably by changing the “S” from Studies to Science and adding another S for Society—was made during a coordination meeting involving key stakeholders from the Organizing Committee (OC) and the Steering Committee (SC) on June 11, 2025, in Central Jakarta. This shift reflects a collective agreement to steer the platform toward greater practical and empirical engagement, emphasizing science and innovation in addressing urgent issues faced by society today.
First held in 2001, the annual event has undergone significant transformations starting with ACIS (Annual Conference on Islamic Studies) to AICIS (Annual International Conference on Islamic Studies). Unlike the two previous models, the brand-new AICIS+ serves as a forward-looking. This new identity captures the integration of Islamic thought with science, technology, and societal issues—offering a fresh concept that aligns with current global discourses.
Responding to the rebranding vision, Dr. Chaider S. Bamualim, University Secretary of UIII, highlighted the significance of this transformation. “UIII was established to pioneer new directions in Islamic scholarship. Hosting AICIS+ is a natural extension of that mission, bringing together Islam, science, and society in conversation with global issues. UIII is honored to serve as the birthplace of this bold rebranding.”
The focus of the rebranding strategies, according to Dr. Chaider S. Bamualim, include a significant transformation in both appearance and content, as well as alignment with National Agenda, the role transformation in which it will evolve beyond a traditional academic forum focused on publication indexing toward real societal impacts, and international-standard conference.
Meanwhile, Prof. Amsal Bakhtiar, UIII’s Vice-Rector for Planning, Finance, and Business Development, underlined the strategic relevance of AICIS+ in the national context. “The grand themes will be broken down into sub-themes that align with Indonesia’s national development agenda (ASTA CITA) such as energy and food security, technological innovation, and the development of excellent human resources. So, this conference is all about impacts,” he said.
During the coordination meeting, Prof. Dr. H. Amin Suyitno, M.A.g, Director General of Islamic Education and Prof. Dr. Phil. Sahiron Syamsuddin, MA, Director of Islamic Higher Education at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, were present at the event and delivered welcome address highlighting the strategic importance of this transition and rebranding.
This new chapter of AICIS+ 2025 represents not only a rebranding of a conference, but a reaffirmation of shared vision between the Ministry of Religious Affairs and UIII to position Islamic scholarship at the forefront of global progress. By combining academic excellence with national priorities and international relevance, this collaboration sets the stage for a future where Islam, science, and society converge to address the world’s most urgent challenges.
Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia
