Depok – In the dynamic landscape of international education, Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) is poised to launch a bold, student-driven initiative that promises to reshape how global issues are discussed within its academic halls. Spearheaded by the Faculty of Social Sciences (FOSS) and facilitated by the Institute of International and Advanced Studies (IIFA), the inaugural “Africa Updates” and “South Asia Updates” are more than just conferences; they are a deliberate experiment in decolonizing knowledge production and amplifying the voices of those who know their regions best: the students.

The initiative stems from an idea for ‘regional updates’ shared months ago within the faculty, now realized by encouraging students themselves to organize it. According to Philips J. Vermonte, PhD the Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences (FOSS), the model takes direct inspiration from the long-running and prestigious “Indonesia Updates” at the Australian National University (ANU), a 30-year program, and UIII’s own growing “Southeast Asia Updates”, whose first iteration has been published as a book.

“The critical differentiator is student agency. The organizers are the students themselves, who have set up independent boards of convenors to determine the topics, with a required focus on contemporary issues,” he said. This structure is distinct from a traditional graduate student conference. The convenors are tasked with selecting speakers from across UIII’s faculties, ensuring multidisciplinary perspectives on the most pressing regional developments.

FOSS and IIFA

A unique, reflexive rule is designed to challenge parochial views: moderators are expressly not allowed to be from the region under discussion. For Africa Updates, for example, moderators must be non-Africans. This structure is intended to force a dialogue and an act of translation that enriches collective understanding. Faculty leadership has provided the initial concept and support via IIFA, then stepped back to let student leadership flourish.

The academic value is twofold. For the university, it solidifies its identity as a truly international hub and creates a vital new platform for knowledge production, particularly for students hailing from these regions. For the faculty, it presents a valuable learning opportunity to listen to students as experts on their own regions and countries.

A New Chapter for Student-Led Scholarship

The initiative has already generated a ripple effect of excitement. Following the announcement, students from the Middle East have proposed launching a “Middle East Updates,” with a planning meeting slated for the near future. This organic expansion confirms the model’s inherent appeal and relevance.

In his support of this initiative, Prof. Jamhari Makruf, the Rector of UIII describes that the Africa Updates and South Asia Updates will represent more than just events on the academic calendar. “They are a statement of intent. They declare that at UIII, the vibrant, diverse, and critically-engaged student body is not just a recipient of knowledge but a primary producer of it,” he said.

By entrusting students with the conceptual and organizational helm, FOSS and IIFA are fostering a new generation of scholars adept at curating dialogue, challenging narratives, and building bridges of understanding across continents.

As the flyers circulate across campus, they carry an invitation to witness and participate in a novel form of academic discourse, one that is urgent, student-shaped, and inherently international.

It is a hopeful beginning, with the aspiration for this to become an annual event. If the early momentum is any indication, that aspiration is well on its way to becoming a transformative tradition. []