UIN Jakarta Explores Cooperation with Qatar in Islamic Studies and Academic Development
Jakarta, UIN News Online – UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta is exploring opportunities to strengthen academic cooperation with Qatar, particularly in Islamic studies, human resource development, and institutional capacity building. The initiative was discussed during a meeting with a Qatari delegation specializing in Islamic religious and cultural affairs at the Main Meeting Room of the Rectorate Building on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
The official delegation included Assistant Director of the Sheikh Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center Sultan Saad Hassan Al-Badr; Head of the Imams and Preachers Affairs Department Ajian Jaber Ajeem Al-Mufreh Al-Ahbabi; Head of the Mosques Personnel Affairs Section at the Mosques Department Ali Mar'i Mohammed Al-Gharamah Al-Qahtani; and Head of the Islamic Relations Section at the Islamic Affairs Department Majed Majed Hareb Al-Mansouri. Representatives of the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Jakarta also accompanied the delegation.
The delegation was officially welcomed by UIN Jakarta Rector Prof. Asep Saepudin Jahar, M.A., Ph.D.; Vice Rector for Cooperation and Institutional Affairs Din Wahid, M.A., Ph.D.; Professor at the Faculty of Islamic Studies (FDI) Prof. Dr. Hamka Hasan, Lc., M.A.; FDI Dean Dr. Yuli Yasin, M.A.; Faculty of Ushuluddin Dean Prof. Dr. Ismatu Ropi, M.A., Ph.D.; and representatives of the International Cooperation Service Center (PLKI) and the Information and Public Relations Center (PIH).
In his opening remarks, Rector Asep Saepudin Jahar expressed his appreciation for the Qatari delegation's visit. He also introduced UIN Jakarta as one of Indonesia's largest state Islamic universities, with 13 faculties and more than 42,000 students from across the country.
“First of all, we warmly welcome you to UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. Our university has approximately 42,000 students from all parts of Indonesia and 13 faculties covering a wide range of disciplines, including humanities, medicine, education, and economics, among others,” he said.
Building on the rector's remarks, Vice Rector for Cooperation and Institutional Affairs Din Wahid outlined UIN Jakarta's international partnerships with universities across the Arab region and in Western countries, including the United States and Australia. He emphasized the university's readiness to pursue substantive collaboration through student and faculty exchanges, joint research, and international academic conferences.
“We have various international cooperation programs, ranging from student and faculty exchanges to joint research and annual conferences regularly attended by academics from Arab countries. We would welcome further discussions on concrete initiatives that UIN Jakarta and your institutions could undertake together,” he said.
In response, Assistant Director of the Sheikh Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Center Sultan Saad Hassan Al-Badr explained that the visit was undertaken following a direct instruction from Qatar's Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, H.E. Ghanem bin Shahin Al-Ghanim. The delegation was tasked with assessing the needs and potential areas of cooperation with Islamic institutions in Indonesia.
“Our visit was made at the direction of His Excellency Ghanem bin Shahin Al-Ghanim, Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, to gain a firsthand understanding of the needs of our brothers and sisters in the Republic of Indonesia in various areas related to Islamic and religious affairs, including the development of imams, preachers, and other fields,” he said.
He added that the ministry was open to supporting concrete initiatives, including Arabic language training for non-native speakers, capacity-building programs in Islamic jurisprudence for imams and preachers, and the provision of Islamic literature and copies of the Qur'an.
“God willing, we will discuss together the ways in which our ministry can contribute here to supporting and strengthening the existing cooperation between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Indonesia in Islamic affairs,” he added.
Meanwhile, FDI Dean Yuli Yasin outlined opportunities for academic collaboration and the development of Islamic philanthropy on campus through UIN Jakarta's Social Trust Fund (STF), an institution dedicated to managing Islamic endowment funds.
“Regarding what Dr. Hamad mentioned earlier, our faculty already has student exchange programs with universities in the Middle East, including the University of Ez-Zitouna in Tunisia and several universities in Morocco. I hope this relationship can also serve as a channel of communication between our faculty and Qatar's Ministry of Education and universities,” she said.
Yuli also highlighted the potential for cooperation in waqf management, including joint conferences and initiatives to strengthen institutional governance.
“Our university also has a waqf institution under its auspices called the Social Trust Fund (STF), which manages and collects waqf and zakat funds to support the welfare of lecturers and the wider academic community. Going forward, we could organize joint conferences or programs to strengthen waqf management between Qatar and Indonesia,” she explained.
On the same occasion, FDI Professor Hamka Hasan introduced the delegation to UIN Jakarta's academic facilities and broader institutional capacity.
“In addition to this main campus, UIN Jakarta has other campuses housing strategic faculties, including Medicine, Public Health, Social and Political Sciences, and Economics. We would be pleased to invite the delegation to visit these facilities and explore potential areas for academic collaboration,” he said.
The visit is expected to expand UIN Jakarta's institutional network in the Middle East, strengthen academic and student mobility, and pave the way for practical cooperation in Islamic education and religious services.