Press Release: UIN Jakarta Hosts "Mimbar Guru Besar", Strategic Forum on Islamic Education Issues

Ciputat, UIN Online News – The Faculty of Educational Sciences and Teacher Training (FITK) at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta is set to hold its first-ever academic event titled Mimbar Guru Besar (Professors’ Forum). The inaugural session is scheduled for Monday, May 19, 2025, from 08:30 to 12:00 WIB, at the Mahmud Yunus Theater Room, 3rd Floor of the FITK Building, UIN Jakarta.

This forum is designed as an academic platform bringing together professors to explore strategic issues in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) through a multidisciplinary lens. The event will be moderated by Dr. Yudhi Munadi, S.Ag., M.Ag., a lecturer from the PAI Program at FITK UIN Jakarta, and is open to the public.

Dean of FITK, Prof. Dr. Siti Nurul Azkiyah, M.Ed., explained that the forum will serve as a public stage for professors, especially from within UIN Jakarta, to present ideas and scholarly reflections on the dynamics of Islamic education. “Through this forum, we aim to provide greater space for professors’ intellectual contributions in developing PAI according to their expertise. This is part of our effort to strengthen FITK’s core business,” she stated.

Currently, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta has 121 professors among a total of 1,238 lecturers, or approximately 9.77%. This figure is seen as a great asset in advancing scientific knowledge and influencing national education policy.

Head of the PAI Program, Dr. Suwendi, M.A., described Mimbar Guru Besar as a vital forum that brings together cross-disciplinary ideas for PAI development. “PAI is not only about religious instruction but also intersects with philosophy, psychology, sociology, pedagogy, and even law and economics,” he explained.

Dr. Suwendi added that a multidisciplinary approach in PAI is essential, as Islamic education holds a strategic role in shaping both academic quality and the character of Indonesia’s human resources.

“Graduates and academic members of PAI play a key role in forming a generation with a strong and moderate understanding of Islam. This is especially relevant to reach over 60 million students in schools and madrasahs across Indonesia,” he emphasized.

For its first edition, the forum will feature Prof. Dr. H. Abuddin Nata, M.A., Professor of History and Philosophy of Islamic Education at FITK UIN Jakarta. He will deliver a presentation titled “Building a Healthy National Education Ecosystem from an Islamic Perspective”, which aligns with current discussions on the National Education System Bill (RUU Sisdiknas) at the national level.

The Head of the PAI Program hopes the forum will offer fresh ideas and constructive input in shaping a more inclusive and equitable national education system.

(Rizkiyah Gustiana N./Zaenal M./Noeni Indah S./Photo: PIH)