UIN Jakarta and US-Based CECF Strengthen Global Religious Diplomacy Partnership

Academic Lounge, UIN Online News – UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta has established a strategic partnership with the Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (CECF), highlighted by the visit of CECF President Prof. Dr. Imam Mohammad Bashar Arafat. The meeting aimed to consolidate religious diplomacy initiatives and expand international academic networks, held at the UIN Jakarta Academic Lounge on Wednesday (September 9, 2026).

The event was attended by members of UIN Jakarta’s leadership and representatives of partner institutions. Key attendees included Vice Rector for Cooperation and Institutional Affairs, Din Wahid, M.A., Ph.D.; Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Prof. Ismatu Ropi, M.A., Ph.D.; Dean of the Faculty of Psychology, Dr. Yunita Faela Nisa, M.Psi., Psychologist; Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies (FDI), Dr. Yuli Yasin, Lc., M.A.; Vice Dean for Academic Affairs of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Dr. Iding Rosyidin, M.Si.; Vice Dean for Student Affairs, Alumni, and Cooperation, Dr. Muhtadi, M.Si.; Head of the International Cooperation Service Center (PLKI) at UIN Jakarta, Yudi, S.Sos.I.; Coordinator of the Information and Documentation Management Officer (PPID), Dr. Deden Mauli Darajat, S.Sos.I., M.Sc.; as well as CECF Country Representative in Indonesia, Dr. KH. Mahfud Mahdi, Lc., M.A.

This landmark engagement outlined several crucial points of collaboration, including the design of education and training programs in religious diplomacy, expanding opportunities for UIN Jakarta students to join CECF initiatives, and facilitating academic exchange for Indonesian scholars to the United States through the International Observer Program (IOP).

Vice Rector for Cooperation and Institutional Affairs, Din Wahid, M.A., Ph.D., emphasized the importance of exploring this partnership to broaden the scope of the university's diplomacy on the global stage.

“This concept of religious diplomacy introduces a fresh perspective into our academic lexicon, beyond the familiar concepts of soft diplomacy or cultural diplomacy. Developing religious diplomacy is vital so that our scholars, clerics, and religious leaders move beyond traditional preaching to actively engage in faith-based transnational diplomacy globally,” he remarked.

He added that UIN Jakarta aims to formulate concrete actionable programs swiftly, particularly concerning student mobility.

“We hope to establish student mobility programs not only for graduate students, but also for qualified undergraduate students to attend lectures or complete coursework there,” he added.

Meanwhile, CECF President Prof. Dr. Imam Mohammad Bashar Arafat explained that CECF has engaged youth and academics from over 80 countries in religious diplomacy programs. Through this partnership, he expressed hope that UIN Jakarta’s academic community would serve as a vital cornerstone in building global interfaith diplomatic networks.

"We started doing training with the US Embassy in Belgium. This is why here the United Under-Secretary-General came, important for us to hold inauguration of our School of Religious Diplomacy with the United Nations. And that is what I hope to do with faculty members from all over Indonesia to the United States through UIN Syarif Hidayatullah,” he stated.

He noted that CECF has collaborated with over 45 embassies worldwide across Africa, Europe, and Asia. In Indonesia, alongside UIN Jakarta, CECF has a strong track record of collaborating with higher education and religious institutions, including the Global Cleric Leadership Program with PTIQ, partnerships with the Institute for Quranic Sciences (IIQ), and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Universitas Brawijaya at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

"Brawijaya University brought the MOU and we signed it inside the assembly in the United Nations. Now we are making these courses available for universities in Indonesia to get their certificates,” he revealed.

Concurring with these prospects, Vice Rector Din Wahid stressed that the next imperative step is to oversee the tangible execution of this agreement and secure sustainable funding schemes.

“Naturally, we will prepare a formal MoU, but execution is what truly matters. We hope to explore funding mechanisms, including support from international donors who are ready to sponsor our students to participate in two-to-three-week short courses there. We will actively work toward that goal,” he explained.

Regarding immediate next steps, technical teams from both UIN Jakarta and CECF are scheduled to hold follow-up meetings to finalize the draft agreement, covering both short-term initiatives and long-term joint efforts.

“For the long term, a major focus will be on sustained collaborative research and the development of instructional methodologies for religious diplomacy,” he concluded.

In closing, Prof. Dr. Imam affirmed that Indonesia, particularly UIN Jakarta, possesses robust social and cultural capital to lead Islamic diplomacy on the world stage and counter Islamophobic narratives.

"For me, Indonesia is one of the most important countries on the surface of this earth for so many reasons because you have certain kind of culture that shows the beauty of culture, coexistence, tolerance. that's what we need to show to the world," he concluded.