While the Decolonizing Social Sciences and Humanities Conference 2025 brought powerful ideas and cross-cultural academic dialogue, what made it even more meaningful were the voices behind the scenes. Held on April 29–30, 2025, by the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) in collaboration with Türkiye’s Institute Social, this international conference gathered scholars from around the world to rethink knowledge through Islamic and non-Western perspectives. But beyond the lectures and panel sessions, the people working tirelessly in the background had stories, insights, and unforgettable moments of their own.
Some students shared their impressions about the event. Ibrahim Suleman Islamic Studies MA student from Ghana shared, “Undoubtedly, the current phase of colonialism is much more dangerous than the former, as it targets our identity and intellectual traditions. I felt truly overwhelmed to join this conference, not just for meeting giant scholars like Prof. Lumbard and Prof. Recep, but for learning from the intensity of their arguments. One of the most memorable moments for me was a quote from Prof. Recep: ‘To decolonize, we need to free our mind, body, and heart.’ That stayed with me.”
Another student, Suci Amalia from Indonesia, who is a committee member of the conference, also shared that she was excited to meet the authors we’ve read in class and shared her thoughts: “I really enjoyed the panel sessions because the discussions were more dynamic. I was especially thrilled to meet participants from HBKU Qatar, where their foundation for decolonization work feels deeply rooted. It gave me a new perspective on how decolonization is defined and practiced elsewhere.”
Also, Dzakiyyah Fauziah Rif’at (Islamic Studies academic staff) as head of committee operations shared her thoughts about this conference: “This was the biggest event ever handled by our faculty, and I feel grateful to have been part of it. I learned a lot—not only from the academic sessions but also by leading our amazing team of staff and volunteers. My role involved organizing everything from speaker coordination to email drafting and logistics. There were definitely unexpected challenges, but we adapted quickly. This experience sharpened my communication and problem-solving skills.”
Our Moderator, Stephane Lacroix (visiting professor at Islamic Studies), shared: “The conference had an excellent lineup and drew many respected international scholars. I especially appreciated the panel with Vedi Hadiz and Farish Noor, and the smaller sessions allowed for deeper discussions. This topic is becoming central in global academia, and I’m glad to see UIII contributing to that important conversation.”
As the curtains closed on the two-day event, one thing was clear: the spirit of decolonization didn’t end with the keynote speeches. It lived on in the minds, reflections, and behind-the-scenes experiences of those who made it all happen—reminding us that knowledge production is as much about people as it is about ideas.