Malaysia – On 5 September 2023, Dean of Faculty of Humanities, UNIDA Gontor, Dr. Mohamad Latief paid a courtesy visit to AbdulHamid AbuSulaiman, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Science (AHAS KIRKHS), IIUM. This visit was a response to an invitation for the Dean to attend an Engagement Meeting on Academic Collaborations organized by the respective Kulliyyah. Not only Faculty of Humanities, UNIDA Gontor, the other institutions like UIN Kalijaga, Universitas Singaperbangsa Karawang, IAIN Madura and delegates from IIIT Southwest Nigeria, were also invited to attend such program. From within the Kulliyyah itself, the top managements were present including Vices of Dean, Heads of Departments, Heads of Research centers and staffs.

The meeting was led by the Dean of the Kulliyyah, Prof. Dr. Shukran Bin Abd. Rahman who delivered a welcoming remark and shared a brief overview on IIUM generally and AHAS KIRKHS specifically. The remark was then followed by enticing presentations on Student Development and Community Engagement, Research and Innovation as well as Academic and Internationalization. All the delegates were then asked to deliver a remark and convey their ideas by which meaningful collaborations could mutually be initiated.

In his remark, Dr. Mohamad Latief first conveyed the warmest greeting from the Rector of UNIDA Gontor, Prof. Dr. Hamid Fahmy Zarkasyi, MA, M.Phil to all the respectable audiences especially the Dean of Kullliyyah and all his colleagues. Dr. Latief too extended his gratitude and thankfulness to his fellow Dean for his initiative and hospitality in hosting the meeting.

“We wish to host you all someday in UNIDA Gontor Ishallah.” added he.

Dr. Latief underlined that there are congruences and similarities easily found in both Faculty of Humanities, UNIDA Gontor and AHAS KIRKHS. The spirit of serving and sustaining Allah’s religion is one of them. It is worth mentioning that both institutions shared Integration/Islamization of Contemporary Knowledge as their core concern of foundation. Both mutually envisioned that such mission guarantees the betterment of the Muslim Ummah and relentlessly sustain Islam.

“Despite slight differences, we have to collaborate and not compete each other”.

Dr. Latief recalled his fellow Dean that as of now, two distinguished lecturers of the Faculty of Humanities are currently enrolled Ph.D students in the Department of Political Science. Both are al-Ustadz Sofi Mubarok and al-Ustadz Ali Musa Harahap. He implicitly extended his sincere expectation that both lecturers complete their dissertations by end of this year (2023); thanks to the Head of Department and their respective supervisors. Their completion implies good news for other lecturers for their likely enrollment in AHAS KIRKHS during the following years.

Other than sending prospective Ph.D students to AHAS, KIRKHS, Dr. Latief urged that collaborative and or matching research should be mutually attempted. This initiative could possibly be commenced, for example, by sharing research roadmap/planning among lecturers. He assured that the shared mission of Integration/ Islamization of Knowledge will throw light in finding out the relevant topics or area of the intended collaborative research. Adjacency or similarity in research area and expertise will bring together all these lecturers to conduct the foreseen collaborative and matching research.

Within this context, the Department of Communication Science, UNIDA Gontor had its prestige to deliberately conduct collaborative researches entitled “Influence of Usage and Gratification on Social Media Dependence; Mahasantri Perspective” and “Qualitative Study if Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Practice Among Shariah Compliance Companies in Indonesia and Malaysia”. While the former would be jointly undertaken by al-ustadz Muhammad Lutfi, al-Ustadz Bambang Setiyo Utomo and al-Ustadzah Diah Rukmini in collaboration with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tengku Siti Aisha Tengku Azman, the later by al-Ustadzah Nurhana Marantika and al-Ustadz Very Setiawan with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeti Azreen Ahmad. Another topic of collaborative research was interestingly proposed by these lecturers entitled “Analyzing the Implementation of Cyber Public Relations in Pesantren in Indonesia”. In order to accomplish this endeavor and foster further collaborations, the team will visit the concerned Department in the upcoming October 2023, Inshallah.

Rep: Dr. Mohamad Latief | Ed: Ahmad Kali Akbar