Prominent scholars from around the world came together at UIII for the International Conference titled “Decolonizing Social Sciences and Humanities: Islamic and Non-Western Perspectives,” held on April 29–30, 2025. Organized by the Faculty of Islamic Studies at UIII in collaboration with Turkey’s Institute Social, the two-day event served as a space to deconstruct how knowledge is produced, moving beyond Western-centric paradigms.
The conference initially received 411 abstract submissions from 23 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and Australia. From these, 48 were chosen to present in 12 themed parallel sessions. Nevertheless, the core of the conference was found in the plenary sessions, where nine esteemed scholars known for their pioneering contributions to decolonial studies took center stage.
The opening session focused on the theme “Decolonizing Knowledge & Epistemologies.” Prof. Syed Farid Alatas delivered a presentation titled “Critique and Construction in Knowledge Creation,” where he emphasized that decolonizing knowledge involves not only critique but also reconstruction and independent thinking—particularly beyond Eurocentric lenses. Drawing from examples in the Malay world, he highlighted the significance of Islamic intellectual traditions while cautioning that a solely theological approach is insufficient to confront colonial influences in the social sciences.
In the same session, Prof. Lena Salaymeh from the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris presented on “Decolonizing the Academic Study of the Islamic Tradition.” She offered a critique of how Western academia often appropriates Islamic knowledge. Rather than simply promoting diversity, she advocated for applying decolonial heuristics to fundamentally reshape the field. Her reflections on how colonial constructs influence the academic concept of “religion” strongly resonated with scholars engaging with hybrid epistemological frameworks.
Prof. Joseph E.B. Lumbard of the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar, delivered a talk titled “Towards Islamic Decolonialism.” He challenged the secular-liberal foundations of prevailing decolonial theories, advocating instead for an Islamic perspective rooted in divine truth and moral certainty. His presentation underscored the potential of Islamic ethical principles to offer meaningful alternatives to liberal relativism, particularly in discussions around justice, governance, and human dignity.
The second plenary session focused on the theme “Decolonial Thought and Political Economy.” Prof. Vedi R. Hadiz, an Indonesian scholar from the University of Melbourne, warned that efforts to decolonize knowledge in Islamic contexts can be misused by authoritarian or religious-nationalist forces to suppress democratic expression. He cautioned that critiques of Western capitalism might be repurposed to legitimize exploitative local systems. As a result, he stressed the importance of ongoing critical reflection to prevent one form of domination from simply being replaced by another.
Prof. Farish A. Noor of UIII delivered a thought-provoking talk titled “Learning Orientalism: A Linguistic Analysis of the Discourse of Othering.” He urged the audience to view Orientalism not just as a historical prejudice or mindset, but as a consciously learned and linguistically embedded discourse sustained through repetition. Using linguistic analysis, he revealed how orientalist narratives are formed, internalized, and maintained in contemporary discourse—emphasizing the urgent need to fundamentally restructure our ways of knowing.
Prof. Salman Sayyid from the University of Leeds, UK, presented “The Muslim Decolonial,” where he delved into the complexities and possibilities of Muslim decolonial identity amid rising global Islamophobia. He introduced the concept of “epistemic disobedience” as a means to confront both external colonial pressures and internalized colonial mindsets. One of his most provocative questions—whether Muslimness itself requires decolonization—pushed participants to critically reconsider notions of identity and agency.
On the second day of the conference, attention turned to “Decolonial Praxis in Ecology, Education, and Society.” Prof. Anna M. Gade, visiting from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, delivered a presentation titled “Decolonizing Religious Ecologies: Nature, Climate, and Sustainability.” She discussed how Islamic law, Qur’anic interpretations, and grassroots environmental activism—especially in the Indonesian context—challenge postcolonial assumptions in environmental scholarship. Her work places Islamic perspectives at the heart of global ecological discussions, disrupting the dominance of Western-centered sustainability paradigms.
In the field of education, Prof. Recep Şentürk from Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul presented “Multiplex Alternative to Decolonize Education: Reviving the Model Colonization Disrupted.” He revisited the Islamic educational model prior to colonial disruption, highlighting its decentralized and multiplex characteristics. Through his presentation, he advocated for reviving this model as a means of reclaiming intellectual independence and resisting the centralized, singular structure imposed during colonial rule.
Closing the session, Prof. Komaruddin Hidayat, the Founding Rector of UIII, delivered a presentation titled “Decolonizing Indonesian Social Sciences: Integrating Indigenous Epistemologies to Challenge Eurocentrism.” He stressed the intersubjective nature of knowledge within Indonesia’s socio-cultural context and called for a fundamental rethinking of social sciences in the archipelago. He emphasized the importance of incorporating indigenous knowledge systems to combat epistemic colonialism and create a distinct Indonesian academic identity.
Each scholar provided valuable insights that not only critiqued colonial legacies but also proposed ways to build more inclusive, context-aware intellectual frameworks. By fostering meaningful academic dialogue and amplifying alternative voices, the conference marked a significant step for UIII in reshaping the future of social sciences and humanities based on the realities, histories, and aspirations of the Global South.