DEPOK, West Java — Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Indonesia HE Redouane Houssaini paid a visit to Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), where he was warmly received by UIII Rector Prof. Jamhari Makruf. The meeting explored opportunities to further strengthen academic and institutional cooperation between UIII and universities and research institutions in Morocco.

The discussions focused, among other things, on expanding academic exchanges, strengthening institutional partnerships, and encouraging greater student mobility between Morocco and Indonesia. Ambassador Houssaini expressed Morocco’s interest in sending a number of students to pursue their studies in Indonesia, particularly at UIII.

UIII already hosts several students from Morocco, adding to the university’s increasingly international academic environment. Both sides expressed the hope that this exchange could be expanded and strengthened in the years ahead, creating greater opportunities for Moroccan students to study in Indonesia and for Indonesian students and academics to engage with Moroccan institutions.

Dr Chaider Bamualim, the University Secretary, mentioned that the relationship between Morocco and UIII has also been strengthened by the contributions of Moroccan and Morocco-trained academics. “Several Moroccan scholars were among the international academics who contributed to UIII’s academic development during the university’s early years,” he said.

One notable example is Dr. Ilyas Marwal, DESA, a graduate of a Moroccan university who now serves as a lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Studies.

UIII offers a specialized Master of Arts (M.A.) program in Classical Islam known as the M.A. in Turath Islam or Barnamij Al-Takhassus Fi Al-Dirasat Al-Islamiyya Al-Turathiyya. Dr Ilyas Marwal is currently the Head of program. His academic background in Morocco reflects the growing intellectual connections between the two countries. A number of Moroccan scholars have also previously contributed to teaching and academic activities at UIII.

The academic relationship is further reflected in the engagement of UIII’s leadership with academic and intellectual forums in Morocco. UIII Rector Prof. Jamhari Makruf has previously been invited to deliver lectures and speeches at prominent forums in Morocco, providing opportunities to deepen intellectual dialogue between Indonesian and Moroccan scholars.

Prof. Jamhari stated that Indonesia and Morocco occupy important positions within the contemporary Muslim world, while sharing a number of historical and intellectual similarities in the ways Islam, religion, society, and democracy interact in the public sphere. “These shared experiences should provide a strong foundation for academic dialogue and institutional cooperation,” he said.

For UIII, cooperation with Morocco is particularly significant given the university’s mission as an international Islamic university in Indonesia, connecting Indonesian and global Muslim intellectual traditions. Morocco, with its longstanding scholarly institutions and rich tradition of Islamic learning, offers important opportunities for UIII students and academics to engage with another major center of Islamic intellectual heritage.

The visit marked another step toward deepening the longstanding relationship between Indonesia and Morocco in the field of education and scholarship. Both sides expressed optimism that existing cooperation could be expanded into broader partnerships involving student exchanges, faculty collaboration, joint research, and cooperation with leading Moroccan universities and research institutions.

As UIII continues to develop its international academic network, stronger engagement with Morocco is expected to contribute to the university’s efforts to build bridges between different traditions of Islamic scholarship and to promote greater academic exchange between Indonesia, Morocco, and the wider Muslim world. []