UIN Jakarta's 68th Dies Natalis: Affirming Identity, Gazing Towards a Global Future

UIN Jakarta's 68th Dies Natalis: Affirming Identity, Gazing Towards a Global Future

By: Prof. Dr. Ahmad Tholabi S.Ag., S.H., M.H., M.A.

Jakarta - June 1, 2025, marks a significant event for UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. This year, UIN Jakarta celebrates its 68th anniversary, an age that represents the institution's long journey in educating the nation's generations and integrating Islamic values with modern science.

Established in 1957 as the Akademi Dinas Ilmu Agama (ADIA), UIN Jakarta has undergone various strategic transformations, from institutional structure, curriculum, to the expansion of academic fields. The change of name from ADIA to IAIN and then to UIN signifies a strong commitment to becoming a higher education institution that excels not only in Islamic studies but also in science and technology, social humanities, and economics and politics.

UIN Jakarta is now one of the best Islamic religious higher education institutions in Indonesia. With over 30,000 active students, dozens of study programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels, and extensive international collaborations, UIN Jakarta has positioned itself as an inclusive and moderate center for knowledge development.

This reputation is strengthened by a number of achievements, including excellent accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Higher Education (BAN-PT), academic collaborations with renowned universities worldwide, and the active participation of lecturers and researchers in international scientific forums. UIN Jakarta has also become a reference in the development of moderate Islam in Southeast Asia, with significant contributions to shaping a tolerant, progressive, and contextual Islamic discourse.

UIN Jakarta's latest achievement is quite impressive. The campus, established in 1957, successfully ranked 101-150 globally in the Theology, Divinity, & Religious Studies category of the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025. This achievement places UIN Jakarta on par with renowned universities such as Cornell University and Johns Hopkins University.

“This is not just a number,” said UIN Jakarta Rector, Asep Saepudin Jahar, in an internal discussion. “This is a recognition of our efforts in integrating religious sciences and general sciences for decades,” he concluded.

Pillars of Knowledge and Moderate Islam

UIN Jakarta's journey began in the early years of independence. On June 1, 1957, the Ministry of Religious Affairs established ADIA to educate civil servants to become religious experts. Three years later, on August 24, 1960, ADIA merged with PTAIN Yogyakarta to become IAIN, al-Jam'iah al-Hukumiyyah.

A major transformation occurred on February 25, 1963, when IAIN Jakarta branch officially became IAIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. However, the biggest leap happened on May 20, 2002. Through Presidential Decree No. 031 Year 2002, IAIN Syarif Hidayatullah officially transformed into UIN, with an expanded mandate to manage various fields of general knowledge.

This decision was not easy at the time. Amidst academic debates about the dichotomy of religious and general sciences, UIN Jakarta chose a revolutionary middle path: integration of knowledge.

The concept of knowledge integration promoted by UIN Jakarta often sparks debate. This paradigm rejects a sharp separation between religious and general sciences. In UIN Jakarta's view, all knowledge originates from the One God.

Of course, this integration is not just a slogan but an epistemological paradigm that must be applied in every aspect of learning. Its implementation is clearly visible in the curriculum. The Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training Sciences (FITK), for instance, combines Islamic religious education with modern educational science. Meanwhile, the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) integrates Islamic values in the development of science and technology, and so on.

To ensure consistent implementation, UIN Jakarta even issued Rector's Decree No. 864 Year 2017 concerning Guidelines for Knowledge Integration. This guideline emphasizes that knowledge integration differs from the Islamization of knowledge; rather, it is a more complex harmonization effort.

Challenges of the Digital Era

Entering the era of artificial intelligence, UIN Jakarta faces new challenges. The use of AI in learning brings efficiency but also risks of plagiarism and violations of academic ethics.

Anticipation is being carried out by forming the Artificial Intelligence and Literacy Innovation Institute (ALII). More concretely, UIN Jakarta issued Rector's Decree No. 127/2025 concerning the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence, which regulates its use in academic and non-academic activities. This policy requires students to clearly provide attribution when using AI in assignments, theses, dissertations, and scientific publications. This step reflects a balance between technological innovation and academic integrity.

UIN Jakarta's grand vision does not stop at academic achievements. As an institution under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, this campus actively supports the ministry's strategic programs, including the "Asta Program Prioritas Kementerian Agama Berdampak" (Eight Impactful Priority Programs of the Ministry of Religious Affairs) initiated by Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar. This program is designed to complete the Asta Cita (eight aspirations) of President Prabowo Subianto's administration. One of its main focuses is strengthening ecotheology, namely instilling ecological awareness based on Islamic values in line with the mission of food security and green energy.

UIN Jakarta's commitment to ecotheology is evident. The Center for Islamic and Community Studies (PPIM) UIN Jakarta, for example, actively researches the role of Muslim communities in environmental preservation. At the campus level, the academic community regularly holds tree planting events as a form of ecological awareness under the coordination of the Green Campus Center.

The Green Campus Program developed by UIN Jakarta—which is one of the university's priority programs—includes efficient energy management and hybrid electric bicycles, waste management, water conservation, and the development of green infrastructure. These efforts are not merely slogans but concrete responses to global food security and energy issues.

In terms of digitalization, UIN Jakarta continues to enhance the capacity and utility of its Learning Management System (LMS) integrated with the Academic Information System (AIS), E-Semesta, and other e-Campus platforms. This system enables academic administrative services to run more efficiently and transparently. Interestingly, UIN Jakarta does not stop at conventional technology. The campus continues to explore the potential of artificial intelligence to improve the quality of education and services in the future, in line with the spirit of bureaucratic reform towards clean and service-oriented governance.

Global Reputation

UIN Jakarta's achievement in the QS World University Rankings is not a coincidence. The assessment is based on four components: Academic Reputation (70%), Employer Reputation (10%), Citations (10%), and H-index (10%). UIN Jakarta has an advantage in academic reputation, publications, and citations.

Recognition comes not only from international ranking agencies. In March 2025, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology awarded UIN Jakarta for its achievement in maintaining its position among the top 500 institutions worldwide in the field of theology, divinity, & religious studies.

The UIN Jakarta QS Ranking Taskforce team is even optimistic about entering rankings in other fields such as education, sociology, and communication. Analysis shows that publications, academic reputation, and citations in these fields continue to increase.

At 68 years old, UIN Jakarta is expected to no longer be merely an Islamic higher education institution but must increasingly affirm itself as a center of excellence that combines the tradition of Islamic scholarship with the demands of the modern era, becoming a bridge between classic intellectual heritage and contemporary innovation.

As the spirit championed from the beginning, UIN Jakarta's integration of knowledge is not just about combining two types of knowledge, but creating a new paradigm in understanding and developing knowledge for the nation's progress. Continue to grow, "Campus of Reformers," UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. (zm)

The author is the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta. The article was published in the DetikEdu article column, "Dies Natalis Ke-68 UIN Jakarta: Meneguhkan Jati Diri, Menatap Masa Depan Global." See more at https://www.detik.com/edu/perguruan-tinggi/d-7950446/dies-natalis-ke-68-uin-jakarta-meneguhkan-jati-diri-menatap-masa-depan-global.