The Faculty of Islamic Studies (FIS), Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), proudly celebrates the achievement of Dr. Haula Noor, a lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, who has been awarded a prestigious fellowship as a Buffett–EDGS Visiting Scholar (BEVS), a fully funded fellowship by the Equality Development and Globalization Studies (EDGS) program at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, United States. The program aims to strengthen strategic academic partnerships between Northwestern University and partner institutions in Indonesia, including UIII, through short-term scholarly exchanges.
Running from January 19 to February 28, 2026, Dr. Haula’s academic focus is to develop her doctoral dissertation into a book entitled “The Making of Extremist: Path to Familial Radicalization”. This project has been shaping her academic.
During her fellowship, Dr. Haula is hosted by Professor Brannon Ingram from the Department of Religious Studies. In addition, she is scheduled to deliver an academic talk on February 18, 2026, discussing her forthcoming book, while also participating in seminars, academic events, and scholarly networking activities both within and beyond Northwestern University.
In her forthcoming book, she argues that the process of radicalization will not be fully understood without understanding the family environments through which individuals are first socialized and morally formed.
“The deeper I go into this research,” she explains, “the more I come to appreciate how central the family is in shaping our socialisation processes and how profoundly it influences the decisions we make in life, often without us even realising it.”
Broadening Academic Experiences, Bridging a Long-Term Intellectual Collaboration
Reflecting on her motivation, Haula Noor notes that applying for international fellowships is an essential step for academics seeking to expand their horizons.
“This fellowship is important for broadening academic experience, knowledge, and networks. Building connections abroad can open new opportunities, not only for individual scholars but also for the institutions they represent.”
She also highlighted Northwestern University’s strong academic reputation and global networks as key reasons for her choice, adding that this will be her first academic experience in the United States, making the fellowship particularly meaningful.
Looking ahead, Haula Noor sees the fellowship as a transformative moment in her academic journey. Exposure to new intellectual environments and close engagement with international scholars, she believes, will sharpen her critical depth, intellectual confidence, and clarity of future academic direction. For FSI and UIII, this fellowship represents more than individual achievement. It opens doors for long-term intellectual exchange, collaboration, and institutional strengthening. Upon return, she plans to share her experiences and insights with colleagues and students through both academic and informal forums, contributing to a more vibrant academic culture within the university.
Strengthening Global Academic Presence
Quoting a well-known Arabic expression, “Laysa al-khabar ka al-mu‘āyanah” or“second-hand knowledge is never as strong as first-hand experience”, she encourages other scholars not to hesitate in stepping beyond their comfort zones.
“Reading about global academia is never the same as experiencing it firsthand. Fellowships make this possible. It allows us to engage directly with international scholarly environments and to grow intellectually, personally, and institutionally.”
Through achievements like this, the Faculty of Islamic Studies, UIII continues to strengthen its global academic presence and reaffirm its commitment to producing scholars engaged with both local and global challenges.