IIUM Malaysia Values ​​Ma’had Aly Tebuireng Deserves to Become an Academic Partner

Tebuireng.online— Ma’had Aly Hasyim Asy’ari Tebuireng’s academic visit to the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), on Wednesday (7/1) produced encouraging results. IIUM’s Department of Quran and Sunnah Studies has openly stated its willingness to collaborate with Ma’had Aly Tebuireng, amidst IIUM’s policy which is now increasingly selective in accepting international visits and collaborations.

IIUM Associate Professor, Raudlotul Firdaus binti Fatah Yasin, revealed that many universities from Indonesia submitted requests for visits and collaboration, but not all of them were accepted.

“Many campuses from Indonesia have applied for permits to visit and collaborate, but we have rejected them. “For some reason, we actually accepted Ma’had Aly Tebuireng,” he said during the discussion session.

Also Read: Mufti Perak Opens Opportunities for Mahasantri Tebuireng to Study Turats in Front of Malaysian Students

This statement is an important confirmation of the positive impression that IIUM has received on Ma’had Aly Tebuireng. In intense discussions, the two institutions found a common vision and spirit in developing Islamic scholarship, especially in the aspect of sincerity and seriousness in maintaining scientific integrity.

Dr. H. Mohamad Anang Firdaus as Deputy Director for Academic Affairs of Ma’had Aly Tebuireng explained the regulatory framework of the Ministry of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia regarding Ma’had Aly and Islamic boarding schools. This explanation became an important foothold in the discussion, as well as showing Ma’had Aly’s position as an Islamic higher education institution that has unique characteristics and a clear academic foundation.

The discussion was dynamic and productive. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zunaidah Binti Mohd. Marzuki seemed to note in detail every important point of discussion, while Assoc. Prof. Dr. Raudlotul Firdaus directed the discussion to concrete steps for future cooperation.

“We start with a LoI (Letter of Intent) as a statement of initial cooperation intention before moving towards an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding). “The most important thing is that this collaboration is truly realized, not just a formality,” he stressed.

Following up on this, Ma’had delegate Aly Tebuireng immediately took the initiative to form a WhatsApp communication group specifically for cooperation, after coordinating with leaders in the country. This quick step marks the seriousness of both parties to turn discourse into real action.

During the meeting, the two institutions also discussed fundamental issues in contemporary Islamic research. The Nabawi MAHA Journal team and IIUM academics both highlighted the proliferation of multidisciplinary research that uses verses from the Qur’an or hadith as mere complements, without complete methodological integration.

Also Read: Strengthening Scientific Friendship, Ma’had Aly Tebuireng Makes an Academic Visit to IIUM Malaysia

Apart from that, the actualization of verses, hadith and turats in the modern era is often considered too subjective. It is not uncommon for claims to “actualize turats” to repeat old findings that already exist in classical literature or do not truly represent a valid contextual approach.

Responding to this problem, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Raudlotul Firdaus explained that IIUM has IIUM Islamization Policy and Guidelines as a guide to the integration of Islamic scholarship in multidisciplinary research. This guide is considered relevant and has the potential to be adapted by the Nabawi Journal.

Nabawi Journal also welcomed IIUM’s offer to be held round table discussion specifically to improve the guide so that it is more concise and applicable as journal policy. Nabawi Journal’s experience in meeting international standards such as COPE and DOAJ is an important asset in paving the way for this collaboration.

Collaboration is not only planned in the field of scientific publications, but also extends to the realm of education. Some of the ideas that have emerged include the exchange of journal articles, the involvement of IIUM lecturers in International Editorial Board Nabawi Journal, as well as IIUM’s contribution in improving the quality of the MUTUN international conference so that it can move towards Scopus or Web of Science (WoS) indexation.

Apart from that, there are also plans to involve IIUM hadith experts as external examiners in M1 MAHA student thesis trials, as well as IIUM lecturers as examiners for M2 Ma’had Aly Hasyim Asy’ari’s M2 thesis which focuses on interdisciplinary hadith fiqhul.

Also Read: Ma’had Aly Tebuireng Expands Academic Network on an International Scale

This academic visit is more than just an institutional visit. This meeting marked the beginning of a strategic collaboration between two institutions that have similar scientific orientations and a commitment to the development of integrative and international standard Islamic studies.

Based on these achievements, the agenda for the first day of the MAHA Goes to Malaysia program was declared successful. The next series of activities is expected to further strengthen cooperation and provide concrete benefits for both institutions.

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Reporter: Maulanida
Editor: Rara Zarary