The Closer Bridge towards Islamic Studies in Higher Education in Malaysia and Indonesia

Abd Rachman Assegaf,Abdul Muhsein Sulaiman,Abd Razak Bin Zakaria

doi:10.4236/ce.2012.326149

Abstract

The transformations of Islamic higher education in Indonesia have occurred since the establishment of STI to PTAIN, then IAIN and UIN. It has tremendous impact on the implementation of models of Islamic studies. At early stage of development, Islamic higher education in this country tends to follow a normative-idealistic approach of Islamic studies due to the huge influences of many Middle Eastern graduates. However, changes of Islamic studies approach come to exist when the Western graduates bring non-scriptualistic methodologies and multidisciplinary approach in Islamic studies. If compared to Malaysia, the two poles of Eastern or Western and Islamic or non-Islamic higher education types have been integrated with the paradigm of Islamization of knowledge. Recent development indicates that Malaysian and Indonesian universities have intensified their mutual cooperation through U to U or G to G Memorandum of Understanding. There are several ways of encounters, namely teacher (or lecturer) and student exchanges, literature line, bilateral cooperation, and informal factors. With the closer link between the two people of these countries, the bonds between Islamic studies connecting the two countries have become closer.

Highlights

Debates on international linkage for Islamic studies have initiated the academic problems whether it will expand the ideology of transnational Islam or not
Until the 1930s this idea was in discussion, and on 18 May 1970, this university was formally inaugurated. It has a number of faculties and departments, namely Faculty of Economy, Social Sciences and Humanities, Physics and Applied Sciences, Techniques, Medicine, Biology, Sciences, Education, Law, Computer, and Islamic Studies (Assegaf, 2003). Another significant development in Islamic studies programs in Malaysia was the establishment of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM) or Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) at Gombak
Malaysia and Indonesia are among the Islamic countries that have majority Muslim population in the world

Summary

Introduction

Debates on international linkage for Islamic studies have initiated the academic problems whether it will expand the ideology of transnational Islam or not. In the case of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, current development indicates that this Islamic university is implementing a new paradigm of three pillars of Islamic studies: civilization of text (hadharah al-nash), civilization of science (hadharah al-‘ilm), and civilization of philosophy and ethics (hadharah al-falsafahwa al-akhlaq). Subject materials taught in this university consist of revealed knowledge such as Tafsir (Qur’anic Exegesis), Hadith (Prophetic Tradition), ‘ilm al-Fiqh (Islamic Law and Jurisprudence), ‘ilm al-Kalam (Islamic Theology), Dakwah (Islamic Propagation), Tarikh (History of Islamic Civilization), Arabic, besides modern knowledge such as sociology, philosophy, education, research methods, and so forth What this university meant by civilization of text (hadlarah al-nash) is represented by revealed knowledge or classical Islamic studies, while modern sciences are used as basic materials for shaping the civilization of science (hadlarah al-‘ilm) and civilization of philosophy and ethics (hadlarah al-falsafahwal al-akhlaq) (Abdullah, 2003). The gate to closer ties towards Islamic studies at UIN and UM is opened

Islamic Studies in Indonesia

Malaysian Experience

The Closer Bridge towards Islamic Studies of Both Countries

Findings

Concluding Remarks