UNU Jogja–UIN Sunan Kalijaga Strengthen Collaboration on Arabic Language Development

Yogyakarta, Indonesia - The Faculty of Islamic Studies (FDI) at Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja) welcomed a visit from the Master’s Program in Arabic Language Education at the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training, Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, on Tuesday, October 6.

The visit was part of efforts to strengthen the implementation of the Three Pillars of Higher Education through the extension of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions, particularly in the development of Arabic language education and learning.

Dean of FDI, Dr. Hamdi Putra Ahmad, welcomed the continuation of the collaboration. He said the partnership with UIN Sunan Kalijaga provides an opportunity for both institutions to strengthen Arabic language education while expanding students’ learning experiences.

In line with this, Head of the Master’s Program in Arabic Language Education, Dr. Hj. Daidatur Syamsiyah, said the agreement also serves as part of efforts to strengthen the implementation of inter-institutional collaboration.

“For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, concrete implementation through the involvement of students and lecturers in teaching, research, and publications is an important part of developing institutional collaboration,” she said.

The visit also included a send-off for students from the Master’s Program in Arabic Language Education at UIN Sunan Kalijaga who will undertake a field study program at UNU Jogja. The program is part of the implementation of the collaboration between the two faculties, covering education, research, and community engagement.

Through the field study program, the UIN Sunan Kalijaga students will undertake activities at UNU Jogja for one semester. They will participate in Arabic language teaching assistance, join several classes, and assist lecturers in the learning process.

In addition to teaching activities, the students will collect data to support their research and final theses. They will also share the knowledge and learning materials gained during their master’s studies with UNU Jogja students through classroom activities.

Beyond the field study program, the collaboration also includes joint academic publications involving FDI UNU Jogja lecturers and field study students. Both parties will explore opportunities to co-author articles, including community engagement articles, for publication in academic journals.

“The collaboration is expected not to stop at the exchange of lecturers and students, but to develop into cooperation involving students from both institutions and producing outputs that can benefit both institutions,” said Vice Dean of FDI, Dr. M. Rofiqi.

In addition to supporting the development of Arabic language learning at FDI UNU Jogja, several learning products currently being developed by the students through the field study program are also aimed at strengthening UNU Jogja students’ Arabic language skills, including as part of their preparation for international competitions.

According to Rofiqi, the collaboration is expected not only to focus on academic exchanges, but also to produce learning, research, publication, and Arabic language learning media development outcomes.

Reporter: Latifah