Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta is one of the most reputable state Islamic universities in Indonesia. The University has a strong tradition of Islamic studies that has been influential to other Islamic universities in various parts of Indonesia. Many rectors, deans, department chairmen and scholars on Islamic studies across Islamic universities in Indonesia graduated from this university. This certainly has strategic implications on the development plans of Islamic higher education in Indonesia. In the context of scientific and organizational structure, for example, it has become a reference for the development of Islamic universities in Indonesia. What is also important is its contribution toward the studies of moderate Islam that does not just affect the Islamic discourses on a national level but also influenced Islamic studies internationally. In addition, in terms of academic reputation, it has gained top institutional accreditation from Indonesian National Accreditation Board and nearly 50% of its study programs have been highly accredited. Furthermore, some of its study programs have been accredited by regional accrediting agencies such as AUN-QA.

QS Participation

UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta (State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta) considers its participation in QS Rankings important for two reasons: internal and external reasons. Internally, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta as one of the oldest Islamic higher education institutions has a long experience of providing excellent teaching in higher education study programs, evolves to have a good tradition of research, and paves the way of being a research university as reflected in our strategic plan, which allocates 30% of its whole budget for research. The research itself is geared to promote international publication which is indexed in reputable index providers such as Scopus, Thomson, and Schimago.

The university had been known as the campus of Islamic thought reform and of the source of dissemination of moderate and peaceful Islam. A number of lecturers and professors have had been developing Islamic thoughts which promote historical, sociological, and anthropological approach toward Islam and religious studies. Indonesian Muslim reformer Harun Nasution, for instance, had been introducing historical approach toward Islamic doctrines and civilization. Another prominent Muslim reformer, Nurcholis Madjid, had also secularized the doctrine and religious practices which are really profane. Indonesian reputable Muslim scholar, Azyumardi Azra, in addition, also introduced fundamental contribution on the research of Ulama networking in southeast Asia. Moreover, Quraish Syihab as the most prolific interpreter of the Qur’an (mufassir) has also successfully provided modern rationality in understanding the message of the Qur’an

Externally, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta sees that there are opportunities and possibilities to enhance its international outlook through responding the phenomenon of student and lecturer mobility. One way of doing so is by showing the university’s visibility in the pace of university ranking. In this case, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah needs to show its best practice. At the same time, it also needs to have good human resource and connection to attract stakeholders’ interest and preference. So, potential students will be interested in pursuing their study at the university as well as high qualified lecturer all over the world will be attracted to join the university. Furthermore, the high performing university lecturer and graduate are able to have global career, or the university students are encouraged and facilitated to undergo a sandwich program with reputable universities all over the world.

UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta has 12 Faculties, 1 school of Post Graduate in Islamic Studies which offers Master and PhD degree, 13 others MA programs in both Islamic and Secular disciplines, and another doctoral degree in Economics. Based on the Data of the National Accreditation of Higher Education Agency BAN-PT, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah has 30 study programs accredited A (excellence), 36 Study programs B (very good), and the rest, 3 study programs C (good), although these three study programs are preparing for the reaccreditation to achieve better qualifications. The university itself has been accredited A (excellence) for the period 2014-2018.

In 2016 four study programs of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta -Islamic Education Study Program, Islamic History and Civilization Study Program, Islamic Counselling Study Program, and Dirasah Islamiyyah (Islamic Studies) Study Program- have been assessed by the AUN QA and passed with the scores consecutively 4,2, 4,2, 4,1, and 4,3.

According to the report of Webometrics July 2016, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta ranked at 34th rank in Indonesia, and 3492 in World rank. In the case of Repository Webometrics per July 2016, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta assumes 13th in National Level, and 608 in World Rank with the size 353, visibility 1008, files rich 983, scholar 144.

At the moment, UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta collaborates with a number of other institutions, education institutions and non-education institutions, in national level as well as international one. Nationally the university has 36 collaborations: 5 with other universities and the rest, 31 with other non- education institutions mostly state institutions. Among the important and strategic agencies of the non-education institutions which have MoU with the university are Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Village and Disadvantage Region and Transmigration, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Higher Education, Technology and Research, District of South Tangerang, District Depok, Banten Province, West Java Province, DKI Jakarta Province, and with many state own enterprise.

Internationally, the university builds networks with about 15 international institutions: Polaris Edu Partners, Adam Mickiewich University, Poznan, Polandia, Al-Fatih Islamic Academy, Suriah, International Peace college, South Africa, INMAE Center for Research and Perspective Studies, University of Ibn Tufail, Morocco, Embassy of India, University of Research Institute for Qur’an and Hadith, Iran, China Culture University, Taiwan, Canadian Centers for Deen Studies, Canada, Belgrade University, Serbia, Rhie-Waal University, Germany, University of Applied Sciences Wurzburg-Schweinfurt, Germany, University of Western Sydney, Australia.

UIN Syarif Hidayatullah has about 960 lecturers, consisting of 65 Professors, 300 Dr/PhD., and 595 MAs. It has about 27,000 students from all over provinces in the country and 206 International students from various countries. Each year the university receives about 5,000 to 8,000 students. They were selected strictly from more than 100,000 candidates. In 2016 alone, about 127,244 candidates enrolled to the university. They were selected in six different schemes (Seleksi Nasional Masuk Perguruan Tinggi/SNMPTN, Seleksi Bersama Masuk Perguruan Tinggi Negeri/SBMPTN, Seleksi Prestasi Akademik Nasional Perguruan Tinggi Keagamaan Islam Negeri (SPAN-PTKIN), Ujian Masuk Perguruan Tinggi Keagamaan Islam Negeri/UM PTKIN, Seleksi Penerimaan Mahasiswa Baru/SPMB Mandiri, Jalur Kerjasama/Beasiswa BLU, and 7195 candidates were selected). Finally, 5195 out of 7195 selected candidate were finally reenrolled as new students, 2016 intake. In addition, the university also receives about 48 international students who take different study programs, coming from Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey, Brazil, Yemen, Morocco, Canada, Afghanistan, and Gambia.

UIN Syarif Hidayatullah is supported by qualified and reputable human resources, many of them receives prestigious awards and patents, nationally and internationally. Nationally many of our lecturers gained prestigious awards, and patents, such as Azyumardi Azra who received awards from the President of Indonesian Republic for his contribution in disseminating moderate and peaceful culture in Indonesia, Quraish Shihab who was granted with an award from Islamic Book fair Award for his works in writing books (Wawasan Al-Qur’an, Membumikan al-Qur’an), Muhbib Abdul Wahab, Ahmad Dardiri, and Syamsul Arief who received patent rights for their contribution Test Arabic fluency for non-native speakers.

Internationally, many of our university lecturers receive also respected awards. Azyumardi Azra received CBE award (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) from England queen. In addition, one of our lecturers, Musdah Mulia received a 2007 International Women of Courage Award from the Secretary of the State USA, the 2009 Yap Thiam Hien Award, and the 2009 Woman of the Year award from the Italian government. Furthermore, Saiful Mujani along with Dr. William Liddle and Thomas B Pepinsky received Franklin L. Burdette/Pi Sigma Alpa Award 2010 for his essay titled Testing Islam’s Political Advantage: Evidence from Indonesia.
The performance of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta is also quite promising. The debate team of Shari’ah and Law Faculty’s students won the 1st champion of the National student debate competition on constitution held by Constitutional Court of Indonesia in 2016. The student team of Dirasah Islamiyyah Faculty won the third place of the Indonesia Universities Arabic Debating Championship (IUADC) held by UIN Sunan Kalijaga in 2015. The Student Team of Nasyid of UIN Jakarta won the first place, best performance, and best song of Ihtifal Institusi Pengajian Tinggi (IPT) held by Universitas Sains Islam Malaysia, held in 2004, Ahmad Hamdani, student of Faculty of Science and Information Technology gained the best reciter of the Qur’an at the 26th Musabaqah Tilawatil Qur’an/MTQ (Qur’anic Recital Competition) in Nusa Tenggara Barat Indonesia in 2016. Five fresh graduate of the university’s students coming from different faculties gained Indonesian scholarship awards (LPDP) to pursue their Master degree abroad. Finally, UIN Jakarta Student Choir received bronze prize in Busan Coral Festival and Competition 2016, South Korea.

Conclusion

In short, the State Islamic University of Jakarta has many strategic aspects to move toward a top university in the world. Joining the QS is one of the ways to achieve that vision. By joining the QS, it is expected that the university’s reputation is able to spread nationally, regionally and internationally. It is also aimed to show a wider world community that this university offers Islamic studies programs that promote a moderation in religion in addition to the fact that it also vertically mobilizes marginalized Muslim high school graduates to have a good and affordable higher education.

Jakarta, May 29, 2017
Kusmana and the Team