The Annual International Conference on Islam, Science, and Society (AICIS+) 2025 officially opened at the Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII) in Depok on Wednesday, marking a milestone in global academic collaboration. The conference, themed “Islam, Ecotheology, and Technological Transformation: Multidisciplinary Innovations for an Equitable and Sustainable Future,” gathered scholars, researchers, and thinkers from across the Islamic world to address some of humanity’s most urgent challenges—from environmental crises and artificial intelligence to social justice and spiritual ethics.

Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan, Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta and a member of the conference’s steering committee, attended the opening ceremony, joining hundreds of academics in what has become one of the most influential intellectual forums in the Muslim world.

Opening the conference, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Prof. Kamaruddin Amin, emphasized that AICIS+ is more than an academic platform; it is a global arena for cross-cultural, interdisciplinary collaboration connecting Islamic scholarship to contemporary human realities.

“Indonesian Islam carries a rich, dialogical, and solution-oriented intellectual tradition. AICIS+ is our opportunity to show the world that Islamic scholarship in Indonesia thrives on openness, critical thinking, and the pursuit of global harmony,” Kamaruddin stated.

He underscored Indonesia’s strategic role as a modern center of Islamic civilization—one that harmonizes spiritual values, ethics, and science to face today’s dual crises: climate change and the rise of artificial intelligence. “These are not merely technical challenges,” he said, “but moral and intellectual ones.”

Director General of Islamic Education, Prof. Amien Suyitno, described AICIS+ 2025 as the most selective in its history. Out of more than 2,400 submitted abstracts, only 230 papers were accepted for presentation—a testament to the rising quality and enthusiasm within the Islamic academic community.

He noted that the “plus (+)” symbol in AICIS+ represents the expansion of Islamic scholarship toward multidisciplinary integration between religion, science, and public policy. “We aim to generate fresh, contextual, and transformative ideas that bridge the worlds of faith and innovation,” Suyitno said.

The conference also features a Research Expo, showcasing innovative projects and technologies from leading Islamic educational institutions—from outstanding madrasahs to universities. Several student-led research projects were reportedly qualified for publication in Scopus-indexed journals.

UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta played an active role in the exhibition, presenting its flagship research and innovations. Eighteen of its academics and researchers appeared as panel presenters, underscoring the university’s intellectual depth and its global engagement in shaping a reflective, progressive, and sustainable Islamic scholarship.