Soon Open for International Postgraduates! UIN Jakarta Advances Ph.D. Program for Islamic Religious Studies

Yogyakarta, UIN Online News — As part of its preparations to launch the Doctoral Program (Ph.D.) in Advanced Islamic Religious Studies, the Faculty of Ushuluddin at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta conducted an in-depth academic benchmarking visit to several universities in Yogyakarta. The visits included the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS) at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), the Graduate School of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, and the Doctoral Program of the Faculty of Islamic Studies (FAI) at Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD).

This benchmarking initiative marks a significant step in preparing an excellent doctoral program for developments in contemporary Islamic studies. The faculty delegation was led by two senior professors: Prof. Kusmana, M.A., Ph.D. (Professor of Qur’anic Studies and head of the doctoral program establishment team) and Prof. Dr. Media Zainul Bahri, M.A. (Professor of Religious Studies).

Prof. Kusmana noted that the benchmarking process aims to study best practices in academic governance and curriculum development at established institutions offering advanced religious studies. One key reference point is ICRS–UGM, which shares strong disciplinary alignment with the Faculty of Ushuluddin, particularly in interreligious studies.

“ICRS is widely recognized for its strong academic system and has produced many scholars of national standing. We hope to learn from their experience to ensure our doctoral program is launched with maturity and academic rigor,” Prof. Kusmana stated.

Prof. Media Zainul Bahri added that the benchmarking activities strengthen both academic and managerial readiness.

“Our master’s programs attract high interest, with an average of 40–60 new students each year. One of the programs has even earned the ‘Excellent’ accreditation from BAN-PT, proving our readiness to progress to the next level by opening a doctoral program,” he explained.

The series of activities began in October at the Graduate School of UIN Sunan Kalijaga and ICRS at Universitas Gadjah Mada to provide extensive insights into academic systems, curriculum design, and strategies for managing doctoral students.

The delegation presented an overview of the program’s structure and governance, followed by in-depth discussions on curriculum and funding models. Several faculty members and academic staff were also present, including Dicky Sofjan, Syamsul Asri, Hendrikus Kaunang, Ida Fitri, and Michael Quinlan from Baylor University.

The visit concluded at the Doctoral Program in Islamic Studies, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD). There, the Ushuluddin team examined various aspects of doctoral program implementation, including curriculum structure, teaching staff, support facilities, and student recruitment systems.

Through this benchmarking initiative, the FU UIN Jakarta has prepared its strategic pathway toward establishing the Ph.D. Program in Advanced Islamic Religious Studies. The program is expected to serve as a platform for deeper, interdisciplinary Islamic scholarship while expanding academic networks with universities both within Indonesia and abroad.

(Press Release of the Faculty of Ushuluddin)