The election of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta Rector Prof. Noorhaidi as President of the Asian Islamic Universities Association (AIUA) for the 2026–2028 term was immediately followed by a strategic step marking the commencement of Indonesia's leadership within the organization. UIN Sunan Kalijaga has initiated discussions on the preparation of the Asian Islamic Quality Assurance (AIQA), an international quality assurance and accreditation instrument projected to serve as a reference for Islamic universities across Asia.

The meeting, held on Friday (10/7/2026) at the Quality Assurance Institute (LPM) Room of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, served as the inaugural coordination forum for the AIUA leadership for the 2026–2028 period, following the 15th Annual General Meeting of AIUA held in June. This step simultaneously reaffirms UIN Sunan Kalijaga's commitment not only to leading the organization, but also to directing the emergence of strategic agendas with genuine impact on the development of Islamic higher education at the international level.

The discussion was led directly by UIN Sunan Kalijaga Rector and AIUA President Prof. Noorhaidi, accompanied by AIUA Secretary General Prof. Drs. H.M. Sirozi, Ph.D. (Professor at UIN Raden Fatah Palembang) and AIUA Treasurer Bambang Irfani, Ph.D. (Chair of the LPM at UIN Raden Intan Lampung). The meeting also involved UIN Sunan Kalijaga's leadership and the Quality Assurance Institute team as the leading team in the preparation of the AIQA framework.

Those present included the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Institutional Development, Prof. Dr. Istiningsih, M.Pd.; the Vice Rector for General Administration, Planning, and Finance, Prof. Dr. Mochamad Sodik, S.Sos., M.Si.; the Chair of the LPM of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Ir. Dwi Agustina Kurniawati, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D., IPM., ASEAN Eng.; LPM Secretary Dr. Siti Muna Hayati, M.H.I.; centre coordinators within the LPM; the Head of the International Affairs Office, Dr. Witriani, S.S., M.Hum.; and AIUA Secretary Dr. Jarot Wahyudi, S.H., M.A.

In his remarks, Prof. Noorhaidi affirmed that UIN Sunan Kalijaga's leadership of AIUA must be capable of producing breakthroughs that deliver genuine benefit to Islamic universities across Asia.

“AIUA must become a catalyst for the improvement of Islamic university quality. International cooperation must not stop at the signing of memoranda of understanding; it must give birth to systems that strengthen academic quality, expand global networks, and increase international recognition for member institutions,” he said.

One of the most pressing needs facing Islamic universities today, he argued, is the establishment of an international quality assurance and accreditation mechanism developed on the basis of Islamic institutional characteristics, while continuing to adhere to widely recognized global standards.

AIUA, under the leadership of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, is therefore beginning to design international accreditation standards that integrate quality assurance and international accreditation functions, with the aim of enhancing the credibility of Islamic universities, strengthening academic mobility, expanding research cooperation, and facilitating the international recognition of graduate qualifications.

In the discussion, Prof. Sirozi emphasised the importance of building an instrument that is universally acceptable, capable of being used by various AIUA member countries without causing Islamic universities to lose their identity.

“A scientific paradigm must be the primary foundation. Islamic values remain the distinguishing feature, but they must be packaged within an inclusive academic framework so as to be internationally acceptable,” he said.

He also proposed that AIUA develop an international accreditation instrument, particularly for study programs, while remaining attentive to developments in global quality assurance practice and the needs of each member country.

Meanwhile, Bambang Irfani, Ph.D. highlighted the importance of developing an instrument that is adaptive to the diversity of higher education systems across Asia. The standards developed by AIUA, he argued, must be evidence-based, easy to implement, and capable of driving a culture of continuous quality improvement.

During the meeting, participants also conducted a comprehensive review of the draft AIQA, which had previously drawn heavily on good practices from the ASEAN University Network-Quality Assurance (AUN-QA) and various international accreditation bodies. Input was directed toward simplifying the instrument's structure, eliminating overlaps between indicators, and strengthening the orientation toward impact and relevance.

One important decision reached was the simplification of the 18 original criteria into eight main domains, expected to produce an instrument that is more effective, more easily implemented, and aligned with developments in international quality assurance systems.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, the preparation of the AIQA is not only an AIUA organizational agenda; it also represents Indonesia's genuine contribution to building an excellent Islamic higher education ecosystem at the global level. Through its leadership of AIUA, UIN Sunan Kalijaga assumes the role of initiator, coordinator, and director in the emergence of international quality standards that will serve as a reference for Islamic universities across Asia.

This meeting marks the first step in a series of AIQA preparation activities that will continue to be refined through consultations with AIUA member universities before being formally established as an official organizational instrument. (humassk)