What Is The Point of State Islamic University?
Prof. Dr. Ahmad Tholabi S.Ag., S.H., M.H., M.A.
Professor at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta
Member of the National Council for Higher Education (DPT)
The annual Annual International Conference on Islam, Science, and Society (AICIS+ 2025), hosted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) on 29–31 October 2025, marked a pivotal moment in redefining the global direction of Islamic higher education.
The theme “Reframing Islamic Higher Education in a Dynamic Global Landscape” showed a significant change from the traditional AICIS model to AICIS+. Its purpose as a redesigned platform integrates Islamic scholarship, scientific inquiry, and global social issues through an interdisciplinary lens.
This transformation goes far beyond nomenclature. As explained by Amien Suyitno, Director General of Islamic Education at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, AICIS+ is envisioned to position Islamic scholarship at the heart of global problem-solving, which begins from ecotheology and economic systems to AI ethics and public health.
Such a remark highlights a paradigm shift: Islamic higher education is being placed within the orbit of global scientific discourse as both a moral compass and an intellectual force shaping civilizational direction.
UIII, as the host institution, embodies this vision. The Rector of UII, Jamhari, described the university as a “bridge between spirituality and rationality, between faith and innovation.”
With 2,434 submitted abstracts from 31 countries (the highest in AICIS history ever held), the conference underscored growing global academic interest in a renewed orientation of Islamic higher education that embraces science and technology.
New Global Pressures
This new direction emerges at a moment when education systems worldwide are under pressure from technological disruption and social fragmentation. The growth of AI is changing the way people learn, write, and think. The ecological crisis necessitates ethical contemplation that transcends both pure and applied science.
A joint report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and its partners warns that climate change could lead to 14.5 million additional deaths by 2050—an ecological tragedy surpassing the scale of armed conflict.
In this context, Islamic higher education must adapt to contemporary realities rather than clinging to the past. AICIS+ 2025 presented a wide-ranging set of themes from “Decolonial Perspectives on Islamic Law and Ecotheology” to “Transforming the Muslim World: Innovative Industries and Disruptive Technologies.”
Speakers such as Farish A. Noor (Malaysia), Shahram Akbarzadeh (Australia), and Sulfikar Amir (Singapore) illustrated how Islamic discourse now intersects directly with global policy challenges, innovative industries, and sustainable economic frameworks.
Farish Noor (2010) explained the urgency of epistemic decolonization in Islamic education, urging Islamic universities to move beyond Western methodological dominance and cultivate the confidence to think from within their own intellectual traditions.
Similarly, Shahram Akbarzadeh (2010) argued that the crisis in Muslim education stems from the widening gap between spirituality and scientific inquiry. Such a gap will impede ethical balance and scientific progress.
Back then, Martha Nussbaum (2010) had long warned of the dangers of education systems driven solely by market logic, which risk producing a “morally blind society.” The importance of the capabilities approach must nurture empathy and social responsibility.
Tariq Ramadan (2009) likewise addresses the need for intellectual courage among Muslim scholars to synthesize scriptural revelation with contemporary realities. Together, these perspectives reinforce the central message of AICIS+ as the future of Islamic education, backed by mastery across disciplinary and ethical boundaries.
Islamic Universities on a Global Scale
The ambitions of AICIS+ 2025 extend beyond the academic forum itself. The conference featured a Science and Education Expo and a Halal & International Culinary Expo, showcasing real-world applications of the Islam–science framework. A tree-planting ceremony on the second day symbolized the unity of scientific awareness and spiritual responsibility.
This direction reflects a fundamental principle: Islamic universities must go beyond their role as institutions of knowledge transmission. They must become creators of knowledge, interpreting Islamic values within a global horizon.
Therefore, three strategic directions emerge:
1. Strengthening interdisciplinary research
Islamic law (fiqh), philosophy of science, technology, and the humanities must be integrated to build new research pathways such as Islamic data ethics, eco-theology, and digital fiqh.
2. Expanding international research networks
Collaboration must be rooted in joint research and publication. The participation of 24 reputable international academic journals, from the Studia Islamika to the Journal of Islamic Architecture, reflects a serious attempt to build a global ecosystem of Islamic scholarly publication.
3. Promoting ethical leadership in university governance
In a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, the excellence of Islamic universities lies in their independence in embedding ethical values within science and technology, separating themselves from replicating Western digital systems.
Agents of Change
AICIS+ 2025 presents a new paradigm for Islamic higher education. This event boldly unites faith, knowledge, and social action within a framework of global human responsibility. With participation from 31 countries and over 2,000 scholars, the conference demonstrates that Islamic scholarship is no longer confined to local discourse; it is now part of the global conversation on the future of the planet and civilization.
Yet the real challenge begins after the conference ends. Islamic universities in Indonesia and beyond must translate the spirit of AICIS+ into curriculum reform, cross-border collaborative research, and the cultivation of Muslim scholars who embody both moral clarity and intellectual courage.
This article was originally published in Detik on Wednesday (29/10/2025)