Contributor: Achmad Jatnika
Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) officially cooperates with Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta to develop the utilization of available resources provided by the two parties in the fields of Education, Research, and Community Engagement.
The cooperation between the two universities was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Standing (MoU) by the Rector of UIII, Prof Komaruddin Hidayat, and the Rector of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar at Ciputat, Friday, 7 July 2023.
This MoU indicates seven points of cooperation, namely Implementation of Education, Research and Community Engagement; Organizing Research Collaboration and Information and Communication Technology Development; Organizing Scientific Activities, Scientific Studies, Seminars, and Workshops; Improvement of Human Resources Competency Development and training; Improvement and Development of Higher Education Governance; Lecturer loan; and other activities agreed by the two parties.
Prof. Komaruddin said that this cooperation is momentous for the internationalization of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah's postgraduate studies. He stated that UIII has excellent resources and UIN Syarif Hidayatullah should prioritize the use of UIII resources. “Academically, UIII and UIN Syarif Hidayatullah can’t be separated,” he said.
From this MoU signing, he also hopes that academic mobility will grow in Indonesia, especially in UIN Syarif Hidayatullah. Prof. Komaruddin observed that too many intellectuals never go anywhere once they join one campus. This situation doesn’t occur abroad; intellectuals will go to another campus to do research or teach, so when they are back on the campus they will get a good refreshment.
“In my opinion, this should not be allowed, this campus (UIII) is a place for refreshment. Lectures [from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta] can be taught at UIII for one semester and the other way. So when they are back on campus they will get a good refreshment,” he said.
Furthermore, Prof. Asep Jahar appreciated positively and hoped that the partnership between the two universities could accelerate their respective academic developments. According to him, UIII and UIN Jakarta have the same spirit of strengthening Islamic and scientific studies through Islamic religious universities in Indonesia.
Moreover, he continued, UIII and UIN Jakarta have quite a lot of closeness. Apart from being both Islamic Religious Higher Education Universities, most of the UIII Chancellors and teachers come from UIN Jakarta.
"With the spirit of internationalization and strengthening scientific and Islamic studies, we hope that the collaboration that has been built between UIII and UIN Jakarta will soon be realized and the academic development of each will continue to be accelerated," he said.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Rector for Research, Cooperation, and Community Engagement, Prof. Jamhari stated that internalization is a must, so UIN Syarif Hidayatullah should utilize UIII. This MoU is an opportunity for the lecturers in UIN Syarif Hidayatullah to get plenty of knowledge about it.
“I think it's a positive opportunity and right [opportunity] and this MoU can even out our path and move forward together. Our era is not competitive but cooperative. UIII also needs some help from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah,” he said.