Senin, 27 April 2009

BUILDING COMPREHENSIVE YOUNG MUSLIMS AS AGENTS OF CHANGE: AN EXPERIENCE OF UIN MALANG

(Presented in International Conference “Muslim Youth as Agents of Change in Indonesia,” Batu, November 27-29, 2007)

A. Introduction

The majority of students in Indonesia prioritize specializations deemed for their future careers. This view is well-supported by most universities which offer particular curriculums to help them master specific knowledge. However, this issue may create a clear-cut separation between religion and science. It means that students who intend to develop religious studies are not suggested to study science and vise versa. This is essentially a secular design and is intensively established at many universities.

UIN Malang realises this current situation and in response to the issue, has introduced comprehensive curriculums in order to facilitate young Muslims as agents of change in Indonesia, providing them with broader religious understandings as well as advanced knowledge of their interests. This university integrally implements two different approaches to education: modern and traditional.

Modern education means education in formal and regular classes at the university buildings whereas traditional education means education in boarding houses (pesantren) with Arabic-English-oriented materials as a part of the university programs. With modern education, the students can develop their fields of study competently and will be able to compete with others in the contemporary world. On the other hand, traditional education will supply enormous stocks of religious knowledge for students which will guide them to be honest and loyal in the workplace. As a result, this system may produce inclusive students with professional skills and knowledge in both religious values and science. In the future, the graduates of UIN Malang are estimated to be intellectual and professional ulama or professional ulama-intellectuals, likely to play a significant rule as agents of change in Indonesia.

To know more about the progress, this paper will elaborate the history of UIN Malang, its visions and missions, the tradition, and the integration of science and religion in education process.

B. The Hhistory of UIN-Malang: an Overview

UIN-Malang started its history in 1961 as a branch campus of IAIN (State Islamic Institute) Surabaya specializing in teaching training. This status went on until it split from IAIN Surabaya in 1997 and became STAIN (State Islamic High Education) Malang independently.

During the time that UIN Malang was still of institute or advanced college status, the focus was on providing an undergraduate degree to students who wished to become teachers in Islamic Education system at primary and secondary levels. This situation continued until Prof. Dr. Imam Suprayogo was appointed as a rector and embarked on an ambitious and progressive program to enhance the quality and type of education along with the quality of the infrastructure required to support the new programs and courses of study he envisaged, with the long term objective of attaining university status of the institute.

Between 1997 and 2002 the courses of study offered changed dramatically with the addition of the departments of mathematics and natural sciences, psychology, economics, Islamic law, and social science. A foreign language department was also created and both Arabic and English language studies were offered to students as core subjects for their undergraduate degrees. The infrastructure program kept pace with the academic program and progressively, classrooms, library, mosque, laboratories, internet facilities and student on campus accommodation were added. Old buildings were demolished or renovated to match the infrastructure requirements of revamped syllabus. In parallel with all this new infrastructure development, attention was given to the quality and caliber of the academic, and support staff. Academic staff were encouraged and helped to attain higher degrees more appropriate to the long-term university status objective. Several lecturers studied overseas undertaking studies for admission to masters or PhD degrees, while others undertook similar studies here in Indonesia.

Finally, the efforts and hard work were recognized by the Indonesian government and in 2002, STAIN Malang was granted university status. At that time, the Indonesian government was interested in a mutual education cooperation program with the Republic of Sudan and in recognition of this interest, the university was granted the name “Universitas Islam Indonesia-Sudan (UIIS),” and on July 21, 2002 was officially opened by both vice presidents of Indonesia and Sudan.

The year university commenced operations, and over a period of one and half years, it was found that the name of university was not really appropriate since the focus of the curriculum offered was more in keeping with the Indonesian National University Curriculum rather that that offered by the Sudan and Indonesia. In view of this, an agreement was reached between the Indonesian ministries of religious affairs and education that the name of the university had to be changed to reflect its true position in the Indonesian state education system. This change was implemented in June 2004 and the university was granted the name Universitas Islam Negeri Malang which is the official name today. Finally on June 21, 2004 the change of status was formally made by the president of Indonesia, Megawati Sukarno Putri, by issueing presidential decree no 50/2004.

C. Vision and Mission

UIN Malang has already formulated and developed its visions, missions and traditions, as guidance to mobilize all its potentials, to direct and motivate all of its members to achieve its goals. These considered prominent respectively to unite perceptions, views, ideals, expectations, and dreams of all involved. The formulation of the visions and missions mainly and clearly aimed at describing the attitude, roles and steps.

The visions of UIN Malang are designed as follow:

1. to be an outstanding Islamic university in terms of its qualified teaching learning activities, researches, and extension services.

2. to be determined to function as leading spirit of thought reform and to develop Islamic high education institutions.

3. to be a university which is built based on a strong commitment to create a religious society.

4. to be a prominent agent of obtaining resolute faith and of science development as the bases to create a peaceful and prosperous society.

UIN Malang has also put forward some missions, namely,

1. to facilitate the students to have resolute faith and deep religious belief, good moral, wide knowledge, and be professional on their fields.

2. to serve people knowledge, more specifically, Islamic concepts and principles, advanced technology and art.

3. to develop science, technology, and arts by conducting scientific analyses and researches

4. to be a good model, always refers to Islamic values and noble Indonesian culture respectively, for society.

D. Building Comprehensive Characters

1. The Comprehensive Curriculum: a Promising offer

To integrate the curriculum, UIN Malang has organized several workshops and seminars to map the needs of society and stakeholders. The result of these programs have been accommodated in the curriculums offered to students.

The contents of curriculums are integral, both religious values and specific field of study. The religious subjects consist of the basic curriculum that should be implemented at all faculties, called the basic subjects, such as the qur’an, hadis and tarbiyah ulul albab. The last mentioned subject is the new concept introduced this year and all new students have to take this course. The content of this subject is how to create the students with broader knowledge of Islamic values, for example the excellent morality, deep beliefs, and discipline.

On the other hand, the courses of their interest are also provided well. There are six faculties at UIN Malang: Syariah (Islamic Law), Tarbiyah (Islamic education), Science and Technology, Humanities, Psychology and Economics. Students from the faculty of science and technology, fro instance, will study the subjects related their interests, such as biology and architecture. However, in the process of study, they always relate the contents of the subject to Islamic values. Therefore, the students have enermous knowledge of both religion and science.

2. The Ma’had Aliy Sunan Ampel on Campus Halls of Residence: a headquarter for Future Young Leaders

It was established during the academic years 2000/2001. All new students are obliged to live in the Ma’had during the first academic year. In new policy, the second year students are allowed to stay in Ma’had resulting from the availability of new buildings. The programs provided in Ma’had aim to provide a conducive atmosphere to the development of language skills (Arabic and English), through group discussions using these language in the halls of residence on a daily basis.

The on-campus accommodation also assists students acquire the basis skills necessary for organized and orderly living and become more keenly aware of their responsibilities to society and develop their sensivity with regard to the societal needs of others. The on-campus accommodation also encourages students to expand their professionalism in their chosen fields of study and develop a capacity to cope with more complex and broader societal needs and demands.

Previously, ma’had could only facilitate up to 2000 students, but now it has been expanded to accommodate 4000 students in the current campus infrastructure construction. There are nine buildings at ma’had: Ibnu Rusyd, Ibnu Khaldun, Ibnu Sina, al-Ghazali, Khadijah b. Khuwailid, Fatimah al-Zahra, Asma b. Abi Bakar and Ummi Salamah.

There are many activities at Ma’had. In addition to customize religious practices including five prayers, fasting, and good morality as the main purpose of being at pesantren, the students should study classic (yellow) books about Islamic teachings to enlarge their knowledge and views, such as fath al-qarib, ihya’ ulum al-din and kifayah al-akhyar, and study al-Qur’an and hadits (ta’lim al-qur’an wal hadits). The other programs are Arabic-English days and Arabic-English contests. Some students also memorize al-Qur’an to become hafidz or hafidhah under the guidance of murabbi (a teacher).

3. Program Khusus Pengembangan Bahasa Arab (PKPBA-Specific Program for Arabic Development) and Program Khusus Pengembangan Bahasa Inggris (PKPBI-Specific Program for English Development)

These two programs are the core agenda for enhancing the students’ ability to master Arabic and English. It is in line with the goals of the university to be a bilingual and excellent university.

In PKPBA, students should attend the classes from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. in five days a week in the first year. They learn Arabic from al-Arabiyah Baina Yadaik, volume 1, 2 and 3 in two semesters. They have to develop their skill in Arabic including four basic skills, listening, reading, writing and speaking.

In PKPBI, students may learn English for specific purposes as well intensive English course in two semesters in the second year. Lecturers guide them to master English using numerous media, for example, language laboratory and internet.

4. The Profile of Young Muslims as Agents of Change

UIN Malang has provided the facility for students to play significant roles in society as agents of change. The students are expected to cope with the following qualifications:

a. Having characteristics as a khalifah which equipped by modesty, a high self-confidence and an excellent academic performance.

b. High discipline and professional.

c. Be curious to search knowledge.

d. Having high courage, free thinking and open-minded.

e. Creative, innovative, and future need-oriented.

f. Sensitive toward the needs of their society.

g. Mature and capable to solve the problems they face.

h. Able to communicate in a broader scope—nationally and internationally.

i. Always reflect their strong and deep faith of Islam on their daily lives.

j. Being eager to learn other fields and skills which are needed in modern and global era.

Thus, the students will be the promising figures in future. However, to make students have all characters above are always in struggle. It needs numerous components of the university as well as the society to work properly.

5. The Profile of Graduate

After finishing their study, the graduates must have:

a. resolute faith and deep religious belief.

b. good morality

c. qualified in their disciplines

d. professional in their fields

The change in society might be started from the campus, since university is the agent of social change. People hope much from the alumni to be the motor in generating the society in all aspect of life. UIN Malang does provide the alumni who have excellent knowledge of their fields of study as well as adequate understanding of religion. Finally, people who have both values, they will be able to act in balance when they return to the real life in society.

E. Remarks

From the discussion above, it may be inferred that the program introduced by UIN Malang are relevant to the need of society. It will be possible for students and alumni of this university to contribute significantly to social life since they have learned many things in campus to be implemented in real life when they return to their original places.



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Introduction