The Faculty of Islamic Studies (FIS) at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) continues to push the boundaries of Islamic scholarship through academic rigor and international outreach. Under the direction of Professor Yanwar Pribadi, as the dean, the faculty is producing cutting-edge research that contributes to the development of Islamic studies in Indonesia and in the global context. Recent academic events—both abroad and on campus—demonstrate how FIS is becoming a key player in global Islamic studies, supported by the passion and dedication of its faculty members, students, and university leadership.
Representing Indonesia in France
In April 2025, Professor Pribadi traveled to France to participate in two major academic gatherings. On April 14, he was invited to speak at a conference in Paris organized by Professor Stéphanie Balme, Director of Sciences Po’s Centre de Recherches Internationales (CERI), and Associate Professor Stéphane Lacroix, Co-Director of CERI’s Chair for the Study of Religion.
The event, titled “Indonesia, the New Center of Islam? Local Dynamics and Global Engagements,” focused on positioning Indonesia within global Islamic studies—a field traditionally centered on the Middle East.
Professor Pribadi’s presentation examined the nuanced landscape of religiosity in Indonesia by contrasting urban and rural experiences, highlighting the country’s diversity in Islamic expression. His talk emphasized Indonesia’s relevance as the world’s largest Muslim-majority country and sparked interest in establishing a dedicated center for Indonesian Islamic studies at Sciences Po.
As UIII’s representative, Pribadi also held discussions with Balme and Lacroix on potential collaborations between UIII and Sciences Po to promote joint research on Islam in Indonesia.
The following day, he delivered a second presentation at Aix-Marseille University during a seminar organized by the PredicMO research project titled “Dynamics of Islamic Preaching: Comparative Perspectives from Indonesia.” Together with Lacroix, he explored Islamic preaching (pengajian) in Indonesia, comparing its manifestations in urban versus rural contexts. While Lacroix provided broader Middle Eastern comparisons, Pribadi offered an in-depth view of how religious study groups shape local communities.
These two events served as platforms for showcasing UIII’s academic strengths and its commitment to promoting Indonesian Islamic scholarship on the global stage.
A Bold Conference at UIII
Back at UIII in Depok, Professor Pribadi’s leadership continues to drive FIS’s dynamic initiatives. On April 29–30, 2025, the faculty organized an international conference titled
“Decolonizing Social Sciences and Humanities: Islamic and Non-Western Perspectives,” in collaboration with Institute Social, Türkiye.
This event challenged Western-dominated academic paradigms and promoted Islamic and other non-Western intellectual traditions to encourage a more representative and inclusive scholarly approach.
The conference attracted significant global interest, receiving 407 abstract submissions from 23 countries, such as Australia, the United States, France, Malaysia, and the UAE. From this pool, 50 presenters were chosen to share the stage with nine renowned keynote speakers, including Anna Gade (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Syed Farid Alatas (National University of Singapore), Recep Şentürk (Hamad Bin Khalifa University), and Salman Sayyid (University of Leeds).
Their discussions promoted cross-disciplinary collaboration and laid the foundation for developing new, context-aware research methodologies.
This event builds on FIS’s tradition of hosting critical and forward-thinking conferences—an approach cultivated during the tenure of former dean Professor Noorhaidi Hasan, PhD (now rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta). Since 2022, the faculty has held yearly conferences that challenge dominant academic narratives in Islamic studies.
The 2022 conference, “Decentering Islamic Studies,” called for alternative approaches to understanding Islam and Muslim societies. In 2023, “Fiqh and Justice in an ‘Abnormal’ Context” explored how Islamic law responds to contemporary challenges. The 2024 event, co-hosted with Leiden University, focused on “The Future of Artificial Intelligence in/and of Islam,” analyzing the impact of digital technologies on Muslim Southeast Asia. These conferences continue to expand the intellectual boundaries of the field, both nationally and globally.
A New Approach
Professor Pribadi is steering FIS toward a distinctive model of Islamic studies—one that merges classical Islamic learning with contemporary academic inquiry. This integrated approach aims to revisit foundational ideas while addressing current global challenges, positioning UIII as a thought leader in the international Islamic academic arena.
By promoting conferences that center Islamic and non-Western viewpoints, the faculty is encouraging original thinking and inviting scholars to reassess conventional perspectives.
Pribadi credits these achievements to the collective commitment of the faculty’s academic staff and students, who actively drive its initiatives forward. He also expresses sincere appreciation for the support of UIII’s rector, university secretary, and leadership team, as well as the foundational groundwork laid by Professor Noorhaidi Hasan, which continues to inspire and strengthen the faculty’s mission.
These collective efforts are part of a broader vision to establish Indonesia as a global hub for Islamic studies. Together, Pribadi and his colleagues are showcasing Indonesia’s intellectual wealth, seeking to move past Middle Eastern- or Western-centric narratives by constructing new models for understanding Islam—models that are inclusive, contextually grounded, and forward-looking.
A Lasting Impact
For Professor Yanwar Pribadi, this endeavor is more than a professional pursuit—it is a deeply personal and globally relevant mission. As a scholar, he balances the traditions of Islamic knowledge with the demands of innovation. As a dean, he guides a faculty committed to bold academic exploration. And as an ambassador of UIII, he amplifies Indonesia’s voice in global Islamic discourse.
From initiating partnerships in France to leading transformative programs in Depok, Pribadi is helping UIII carve out its place as a major center of learning and intellectual dialogue. Through these efforts, he continues to shape not only the study of Islam but also Indonesia’s role as a center of Islamic scholarship.
