Institutionalizing Community-Based Research in Indonesian Islamic Higher Education: Two Cases from the Sunan Ampel State Islamic University Surabaya and Alauddin State Islamic University Makassar

Abstract

The article presents a reflective experience on the institutionalization of community-based research in Indonesian Islamic Higher Education. It comprises two case studies from two different universities, the Sunan Ampel State Islamic University Surabaya and the Alauddin State Islamic University Makassar. Both are the two selected partners within the Supporting Islamic Leadership in Indonesia (SILE)/Local Leadership Development (LLD) Project in partnership between Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs and Canadian International Development Agency. The project introduces community-based research as an approach to engage community through Tridharma (Three mandates) of Higher Education. The institutionalization covers various activities from raising awareness, building capacity, to developing institutional policy at a national level. The cases show that the different socio-historical context and political dynamic of each campuses influence the process, challenge and response to the institutionalization. However, both campuses share similar reasons for adopting community-based research from the Islamic perspective, namely that using research as a means of promoting social change is consistent with the Qur’anic principles and the Prophetic tradition.