Fifty-nine (59) foreign students are learning about the beauty of Islam at the Faculty of Islamic Studies (FAI) at Sultan Agung Islamic University (UNISSULA). They are the participants of the online short program entitled “Harmonious Islam in Indonesia” (HARMONII) 2024. The event, organized by FAI UNISSULA in collaboration with UPT. KUI UNISSULA, takes place from February 26 to March 1, 2024. The purpose of organizing HARMONII 2024 is to learn how Islam is practiced and taught in Indonesia in harmony with the existing culture in Indonesian diverse society.
Participants of HARMONII 2024 come from various countries such as the Philippines, Malaysia, China, Japan, and Egypt. They will engage in a series of activities, including lectures, group assignments, and group presentations. The lecture topics include contextual subjects such as Islam and its role in shaping Indonesian culture, the fundamentals of Islamic teaching in Indonesia, and the principles and practices of religious harmony in Indonesia. These topics will be presented by experts in those field, including M. Adib Abdushomad, Ph.D. (Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia), Dr. Hayati binti Ismail (USIM, Malaysia), and Ahmad Afnan Anshori, M.A. (Ph.D. student at Radboud University, the Netherlands). Lecturers from FAI UNISSULA are also involved as speakers in HARMONII 2024.
In addition to serving as a means to introduce Islam and strengthen harmony among religious communities, HARMONII 2024 is expected to foster internationalization at UNISSULA. As a world-class Islamic university, UNISSULA consistently organizes international programs to equip its students with international networks and global competitiveness. This is aimed at ensuring that its graduates can contribute meaningfully on the global stage.