Seminar SPs UIN Jakarta: Integrating Knowledge to Build Harmonious Relations between Islam and Science

SPs Building, UIN Online News- The integration of knowledge developed by Islamic religious higher education institutions is not understood as the Islamization of knowledge or the imposition of Islamic principles on science. Instead, it is more about fostering a harmonious relationship between Islam and science, thus generating an open-minded perspective towards knowledge and respecting the existence of various disciplines proportionally, without forsaking its critical nature.

This was one of the outcomes of the seminar presented by the Chairperson, Suwendi, at the closing of the National Seminar "Advancing Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies: Current Trends, Contributions, and Prospects", held by the Graduate School of UIN Jakarta, on April 24-25, 2024, in Ciputat. The seminar featured speakers such as M. Atho Mudzhar, a professor at the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Husni Rahim, a professor at the Graduate School of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, and Syafiq Hasyim, a lecturer at the International Islamic University Indonesia. Additionally, 90 papers were discussed, attended by 109 participants from 10 universities nationwide, both in person and online.

According to Suwendi, this seminar contributes to revitalizing the academic space concerning the transformation policies of Islamic religious higher education institutions, which have been in existence for over 22 years. "UIN Jakarta, as the institution that first changed from IAIN in 2002, has the academic responsibility to strengthen these strategic roles," Suwendi stated.

The seminar emphasizes that interdisciplinary Islamic studies, as an approach to integrating knowledge, is expected to result in a deeper understanding of Islam, rather than a narrowing of understanding. Therefore, the seminar recommends several steps in integrating general knowledge and Islamic religious knowledge, namely: 1) clarifying the philosophy and objectives of knowledge, 2) developing and enriching theories, 3) incorporating Islamic values in the application of knowledge, 4) finding common ground with the Qur'an and Hadith, and 5) treating verses from the Qur'an and Hadith as sources of inspiration and reference.

The seminar also found that Islamic education serves as a gateway to changing fortunes, thus opening up vertical mobility pathways for society and Islamic boarding school students. There are at least 2 identities of Islamic education. First, institutional identity consisting of Islamic, populist, diverse, and quality values. Second, organizational identity, namely education based on community and school-based management. With these two identities, Islamic education is capable of showcasing its strengths in facing future challenges.

The national seminar was officially closed by the Vice Director of the Graduate School of UIN Jakarta, Yusuf Rahman. In his speech, the professor of Islamic Thought at UIN Jakarta mentioned that the Graduate School of UIN Jakarta is an institution that consistently opens up academic space, giving birth to ideas of integration, interconnection, and interdisciplinary among Islamic studies and other fields of knowledge. "SPs UIN Jakarta strives to generate significant ideas that are expected to continuously contribute to academic reputation globally," Yusuf Rahman concluded. (Suwendi/ZM/Faadhila Idris)