NSYSU College of Liberal Arts and UIN Jakarta Centre for the Study of Islam and Society sign an MOU for future collaboration
(Provided by the College of Liberal Arts) During a six-day international education and research program between a group of students, faculty, and staff of NSYSU College of Liberal Arts and the Centre for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) at the Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta (UIN Jakarta), the Dean of the NSYSU College of Liberal Arts, Chung-Chi Yu, and the Director of UIN Jakarta, Prof. Jamhari Makruf, signed an MOU to further develop the academic collaboration between the two universities.
The program promoting collaboration on Islamic studies between Indonesia and Taiwan took place in Jakarta and involved both faculty and student exchange. NSYSU students enrolled in the “Introduction to Religions of the World” - a class within the co-learning group of Cross-Cultural Studies and Aesthetics at the College of Liberal Arts, NSYSU, participated in a series of organized activities, lectures, and discussions. A total of eight students and three teachers from NSYSU College of Liberal Arts participated in this program which culminated in a visit to Indonesia in November last year. Participating NSYSU students were a diverse group consisting of Malaysians, French and Taiwanese, and the NSYSU teaching staff included two Taiwanese and one American. Together, the team visited various key cultural sites in Jakarta, including the Istiqlal Mosque, where they had the opportunity to witness Muslim prayer rituals in this impressive space known for being the largest mosque in South-East Asia.
Most of the participating NSYSU team members visited Indonesia for the first time and demonstrated a great interest in the international program and local culture. Assistant Professor Marcie Middlebrooks of NSYSU College of Liberal Arts gave a lecture on ‘Islam in Taiwan’ in which she explained how Islam made its way to Taiwan, and how the Muslim minority practices its religion in Taiwan. Professor Jamhari Ma’ruf of the PPIM presented folk customs and beliefs in Indonesia and Dr. Fuad Jabali spoke about ‘Islam in Indonesia’ which he characterized as traditionally very open and accepting of diversity. These series of lectures challenged stereotypical ideas about Islam being an excessively narrow and intolerant religion.
NSYSU Liberal Arts College students and teachers also visited the Madrasah Aliyah Negeri, an academically rigorous Muslim school in Jakarta. This highly acclaimed madrasah provides competitive education for Muslim high school students in both secular and religious topics. Students rise every day at 4 a.m. to participate in morning prayers which are followed by a day of instruction in a wide variety of subjects. Due to its knowledgeable teaching staff and outstanding students, the Madrasah Aliyah Negeri is packed full of student trophies won at international academic competitions and many of its graduates continue their education at top-ranked universities around the world.
In addition to the visit to the madrasah, the NSYSU team also explored Jakarta’s Merdeka Square, Chinatown museums, and Jakarta’s Old Town. To gain a broader view of the great variety of Indonesian cultures, the NSYSU group also studied and practiced Saman – a traditional Indonesian dance – and enjoyed learning more about Indonesian food and batik textile arts.
Students participating in this six-day trip to Indonesia were able to enrich their previously gained, largely classroom-based, understanding of Islam by directly interacting with local Muslims. Moreover, NSYSU students were able to both observe and participate in various activities with Indonesian Islamic University students, which further facilitated an intra-generational and cross-cultural understanding. After returning from this brief but eventful international program, both students and faculty expressed hope for future collaboration between UIN Jakarta and NSYSU. In recent years, Taiwan has welcomed more and more immigrant workers and new residents coming from Indonesia and/or with Muslim backgrounds. This exchange program helps students and faculty gain a deeper understanding of Indonesian and South-East Asian societies and, by extension, promotes a more informed and friendly attitude towards South-East Asian and Muslim immigrants to Taiwan.
The program promoting collaboration on Islamic studies between Indonesia and Taiwan took place in Jakarta and involved both faculty and student exchange. NSYSU students enrolled in the “Introduction to Religions of the World” - a class within the co-learning group of Cross-Cultural Studies and Aesthetics at the College of Liberal Arts, NSYSU, participated in a series of organized activities, lectures, and discussions. A total of eight students and three teachers from NSYSU College of Liberal Arts participated in this program which culminated in a visit to Indonesia in November last year. Participating NSYSU students were a diverse group consisting of Malaysians, French and Taiwanese, and the NSYSU teaching staff included two Taiwanese and one American. Together, the team visited various key cultural sites in Jakarta, including the Istiqlal Mosque, where they had the opportunity to witness Muslim prayer rituals in this impressive space known for being the largest mosque in South-East Asia.
Most of the participating NSYSU team members visited Indonesia for the first time and demonstrated a great interest in the international program and local culture. Assistant Professor Marcie Middlebrooks of NSYSU College of Liberal Arts gave a lecture on ‘Islam in Taiwan’ in which she explained how Islam made its way to Taiwan, and how the Muslim minority practices its religion in Taiwan. Professor Jamhari Ma’ruf of the PPIM presented folk customs and beliefs in Indonesia and Dr. Fuad Jabali spoke about ‘Islam in Indonesia’ which he characterized as traditionally very open and accepting of diversity. These series of lectures challenged stereotypical ideas about Islam being an excessively narrow and intolerant religion.
NSYSU Liberal Arts College students and teachers also visited the Madrasah Aliyah Negeri, an academically rigorous Muslim school in Jakarta. This highly acclaimed madrasah provides competitive education for Muslim high school students in both secular and religious topics. Students rise every day at 4 a.m. to participate in morning prayers which are followed by a day of instruction in a wide variety of subjects. Due to its knowledgeable teaching staff and outstanding students, the Madrasah Aliyah Negeri is packed full of student trophies won at international academic competitions and many of its graduates continue their education at top-ranked universities around the world.
In addition to the visit to the madrasah, the NSYSU team also explored Jakarta’s Merdeka Square, Chinatown museums, and Jakarta’s Old Town. To gain a broader view of the great variety of Indonesian cultures, the NSYSU group also studied and practiced Saman – a traditional Indonesian dance – and enjoyed learning more about Indonesian food and batik textile arts.
Students participating in this six-day trip to Indonesia were able to enrich their previously gained, largely classroom-based, understanding of Islam by directly interacting with local Muslims. Moreover, NSYSU students were able to both observe and participate in various activities with Indonesian Islamic University students, which further facilitated an intra-generational and cross-cultural understanding. After returning from this brief but eventful international program, both students and faculty expressed hope for future collaboration between UIN Jakarta and NSYSU. In recent years, Taiwan has welcomed more and more immigrant workers and new residents coming from Indonesia and/or with Muslim backgrounds. This exchange program helps students and faculty gain a deeper understanding of Indonesian and South-East Asian societies and, by extension, promotes a more informed and friendly attitude towards South-East Asian and Muslim immigrants to Taiwan.
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