President To Dedicate Six New UIN

Republika, page 5

President Joko Widodo will soon dedicate six new Public Islamic Universities to enhance the quality of education in Indonesia.

Religious Affairs Minister (Menag) Lukman Hakim Syaifuddin said that the six UIN face upgrading from Public Islamic Institute (IAIN) status. Such upgrading is expected to maximize study activity, stated Menag while dedicating the lecture theater complex of the Public Islamic University (UIN) Sumut in Medan on Thursday (23/3).

The six IAIN that are to become UIN are IAIN Sultan Thaha Saifuddin in Jambi, IAIN Imam Bonjol in Padang, IAIN Raden Bintang in Lampung, IAIN Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin in Banten, IAIN Antasari in Banjarmasin, and IAIN Mataram in West Nusa Tenggara.

Dedication and development of Islamic universities is one of the ways anticipated to accommodate the flow from madrasas and Islamic boarding schools. Every year, thousands of teenagers who complete study in madrasas and Islamic boarding schools require Islamic university facilities to continue their education. According to data from the Ministry of Religious Affairs in 2016, there were 49,337 madrasas and 28,194 Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia.

Besides the promotion of the six UIN, the Ministry of Religious Affairs is developing 13 “mahad ali” as higher education agencies with an Islamic boarding school nuance. Their graduates will be equivalent to S-1 scholars. In managing education, particularly Islamic education, Menag underlined the need for it to develop affection in all academic places.