UIN Jakarta Expands Academic Outreach to Uzbekistan

Rectorate Building, UIN News Online- UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta expands the reach of its international academic cooperation by targeting various higher education institutions, libraries, and the Indonesian Embassy in Uzbekistan.

This is the report of UIN Jakarta Visit Team to Uzbekistan received by UIN News Online, Monday (27/11/2023). The delegation was led by the Head of LP2M International Cooperation Service Center Prof. Maila Dinia Husni Rahiem MA Ph.D.

Also in the team were Head of Center for Community Service Ade Rina Farida M.Si, Head of AUK Bureau Drs. H. Juanda Naim, M.H., Head of Financial Planning Bureau H. Mohamad Ali Irfan, S.E., M.M., M.Ak, and Head of AAKK Bureau Priyono M.Pd. The two main cities of Uzbekistan, Tashkent and Samarkand, became the main destination of the group.

During the week-long visit from November 20 to 27, the UIN Jakarta team made official visits to three universities, one library, and representatives of the Indonesian government in Uzbekistan. Each is the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, Tashkent Medical Academy, National University of Uzbekistan, National Library of Uzbekistan, and the Indonesian Embassy to Uzbekistan.

The visit to the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan was carried out as a follow-up to the cooperation agreement signed in September 2023 by the Rector of UIN Jakarta Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar MA Ph.D and the Rector of the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan as well as the religious advisor to the president of Uzbekistan Prof. Gapurov Uygun Tolkinovich. UIN Jakarta team's visit to the university was received directly by university officials such as vice rectors and heads of university centers. 

The plan is to follow up the cooperation between the two universities in various programs. Among them is the Community Service Project based Student Mobility program, where UIN Jakarta students conduct student mobility activities combined with community service activities.

Others, lecturer exchange between the two universities. "They are very interested in the development of Islamic psychology at UIN Jakarta and are interested in exchanging lecturers who teach this field and also the field of Islamic cultural studies, where Central Asian Islamic culture experts from this campus can be sent to UIN Jakarta," he said.

The International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan, Maila continued, is also ready to follow up on the cooperation agreement by conducting collaborative research, exchanging conference speakers. The leadership and academic community of this university asked the Rector of UIN Jakarta Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar MA Ph.D to be present as a speaker at the international symposium next year.

As a sign of the partnership that has been built, Rector Asep Jahar previously sent a video recording of his remarks on the implementation of the Bukhara religious tourism conference with the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan as one of the organizers. The video recording has been and will be played during the conference as well as other welcome videos from world leaders.

"The International Islamic Academy is also preparing its 2024 program, and hopes that UIN Jakarta can inform them about important academic activities in faculties and units at UIN Jakarta where they can be involved. Conversely, they will also share their activity plans so that UIN Jakarta can plan to be involved," said Maila.

Furthermore, the UIN Jakarta team conducted a cooperation visit with Tashkent Medical Academy. The visit to the academy was received directly by the Acting Rector of Tashkent Medical Academy and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Prof. Shukrat Abdujalilovich Boymuradov.

In Uzbekistan and the Central Asian region, Tashkent Medical Academy is known as the leading and largest educational institution in the field of medicine and Public Health. On this campus, a total of four thousand undergraduate students and 1000 postgraduate students (S2-S3) study on this campus.

Tashkent Medical Academy itself is managed as a modern campus with clean and well-managed buildings. The campus has a dormitory that can accommodate all students living on campus, so as many as 97% of students live on campus.

Still on this campus, the UIN Jakarta group also had the opportunity to visit the comprehensive Tashkent Medical Academy medical simulator lab for use in various fields of medical science, such as pediatrics, obgyn, to the Emergency Room simulator room. The investment value of this laboratory is no less than USD 4 million sourced from various institutions and from research obtained by their lecturers.

"This campus is very enthusiastic to cooperate with the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, and with our two hospitals," said Maila.

The Tashkent Medical Academy itself, she continued, will soon visit UIN Jakarta at the end of December or in January to meet with the Rector of UIN Jakarta and sign an MoU and design joint programs. "It is expected that in 2024, inter-campus mobility activities can be carried out for lecturers, students and also tendik staff and hospital staff," said Maila.

Tashkent Medical Academy also invites UIN Jakarta lecturers to conduct joint research and publications. In addition to medical and nursing education, Tashkent Medical Academy has hospital management programs, both undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as certified education courses.

In addition to the International Islamic Academy and Tashkent Medical Academy, UIN Jakarta also conducted a cooperation visit to the National University of Uzbekistan. On this campus, the group was received directly by the Vice Rector for International Cooperation Prof. Raima Kh. Shirinova who was accompanied by the coordinator of international cooperation and the coordinator of the student mobility program.

Currently, Maila said, UIN Jakarta's cooperation proposal has been submitted to the National University of Uzbekistan. Through the facilitation of the Indonesian Embassy in Tashkent, she continued, a desk-to-desk MoU will be signed.

"After the document is approved, signed by the Rector of the National University of Uzbekistan, it will be sent by the Indonesian Embassy to be signed by the Rector of UIN Jakarta," said Maila again.

In direct discussions with the National University of Uzbekistan, the team also discussed the implementation of cooperation. Among them are student mobility activities based on community service, joint research and publication activities, guest lecturer activities, organizing joint conferences, especially those that discuss the role of women.

These planned activities can be implemented by faculties at UIN Jakarta in collaboration with various faculties at the National University of Uzbekistan which consists of. The university has a number of faculties such as Faculties of Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Ecology, Chemistry, International Philology (Language and Literature), Economics, Social Sciences (including Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy and Theology, and Education), Journalism, Uzbek Philology, History, Geography and Natural Resources, Geology, and Hydrometeorology.

As a female professor, Vice Chancellor Raima expressed her concern to be able to collaborate with UIN Jakarta in organizing conference activities that discuss themes on the role of women in education and other themes.  This offer can be followed up by the Center for Gender and Child Studies, LP2M UIN Jakarta.

For student mobility activities integrative with community service will be prepared by the Center for Community Service. Head of the Center for Community Service, Ade Rina Farida is enthusiastically ready to cooperate reciprocally, where each party will waive tuition fees and mutual residence.

"In addition, the National University of Uzbekistan will also recruit prospective students who will study at UIN Jakarta for further studies with the UIN Jakarta rector scholarship scheme," explained Maila.

In addition to the three universities, the UIN Jakarta group also visited the National Library of Uzbekistan. The group had the opportunity to see the digitization process, reading room area, and library programs accompanied by the head of the library's cooperation program. The library itself is ready to cooperate with UIN Jakarta Library Center.

The success of activities in Uzbekistan cannot be separated from the support of the Indonesian Embassy in Tashkent which helped UIN Jakarta organize visits to various institutions. The ambassador, Prof. Dr. H. Sunaryo Kartadinata, M.Pd., had the opportunity to receive the group along with Consul for Political Functions Rofita and Consul for Information and Cultural Functions Sintia Christiani Saeh.

In his audience, Ambassador Sunaryo stated that he would continue to support the efforts made by UIN Jakarta in Uzbekistan. He will assist the MoU signing process and program implementation.

The UIN Jakarta delegation, which was attended by three Heads of Bureau, also became an impactful synergy, where the Heads of Bureau saw firsthand the internationalization program of UIN Jakarta and the management of the implementation of education, research and others on the campuses they visited.

Head of Bureau Mohamad Ali Irfan, underlined the importance of planning infrastructure to support education and research. He also expressed his admiration for the Tashkent Medical Academy which can bring trillions of funds for laboratory financing.

Head of Juanda Naim added the need for mobility cooperation between universities by involving education personnel. "This is so that they can learn more and improve their competence in university management," he added.

Kabiro Priyono believes that the systematic internationalization efforts that have been and continue to be carried out by UIN Jakarta will successfully lead UIN Jakarta to become a World Class University.

"This is the report of the visit in Tashkent, then the group left for Samarkand to meet with leaders on the campuses of Samarqand State University and Samarkand Medical Academy," Maila concluded again. (Maila Dinia Husni Rahiem/FNH/ZM Report)