Bridging 1935 Classical Islamic Scholarship With Modern Sciences, UIN Jakarta Inks Strategic Access Pact With Historic Sunanul Huda Boarding School

JAKARTA, UIN Online News – Solidifying its institutional mandate to bridge traditional Islamic scholarship with modern scientific disciplines, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta formally signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the historic Pondok Pesantren Sunanul Huda on Monday, July 27, 2026. The bilateral agreement establishes a direct admissions pipeline, enabling senior high school graduates from traditional Islamic boarding schools (santri) to access higher education across both religious and STEM faculties.

The signing ceremony was headed by UIN Jakarta Rector Professor Asep Saepudin Jahar, Ph.D., and Vice Rector for Institutional Affairs Din Wahid, Ph.D., alongside the leadership council, faculty members, and senior students of Pesantren Sunanul Huda.

Under the newly established framework, Pesantren Sunanul Huda will conduct comprehensive academic interest mapping for its senior grade 12 students. UIN Jakarta will coordinate directly with relevant faculties, ranging from medicine and natural sciences to Islamic theology to provide academic counseling and admissions pathways tailored to student specializations.

Speaking at the ceremony, Secretary of Pesantren Sunanul Huda, Yeni Ratna Yuningsih, expressed deep appreciation for UIN Jakarta's proactive approach to expanding educational access.

"UIN Jakarta continues to demonstrate active leadership in the field," Yeni Ratna Yuningsih noted. "Following this MoU, we will systematically identify our students' academic passions, align them with relevant disciplines, and coordinate directly with UIN Jakarta's religious and non-religious faculties to secure their higher education opportunities."

Founded in 1935 in Sukabumi, West Java, by the revered scholar KH. Mama Uci Sanusi, Pesantren Sunanul Huda represents a cornerstone of Indonesian Islamic heritage. The institution successfully blends classical manuscript studies (kitab kuning) with accredited formal education spanning junior to senior Islamic high schools (MTs and MA).

UIN Jakarta Rector Professor Asep Saepudin Jahar emphasized that collaborating with historic boarding schools ensures the continuous transmission of knowledge across generations, preserving classical Islamic heritage while equipping traditional scholars with modern scientific capabilities.

"This strategic partnership reinforces our inter-institutional interaction with grassroots Islamic boarding schools across Indonesia," Rector Jahar stated. "By connecting classical religious literacy with advanced university research, UIN Jakarta ensures that knowledge transmission remains continuous, inclusive, and globally relevant."

Through this initiative, UIN Jakarta demonstrates to international observers how Indonesia successfully integrates traditional religious education into modern higher education systems, fostering a balanced, highly capable, and intellectually diverse generation of future leaders.

(Khoirillah/Zaenal/Arifin/Photo: Tiara Abdhie)