YOGYAKARTA — UIN Sunan Kalijaga brought a German scholar to campus this week to examine a Qur’anic narrative through the lens of Late Antiquity, underscoring the university’s push to connect Islamic studies with international academic debates.

The Faculty of Ushuluddin and Islamic Thought (FUPI) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga held a specialist discussion titled “The Israelites and The Cow” on Feb. 24, 2026, featuring Holger Zellentin of Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany. The forum gathered lecturers and students to revisit the well-known account of the Israelites and the cow in Surah Al-Baqarah.

Rather than approaching the passage solely as a theological narrative, Zellentin introduced a historical-critical and intertextual framework rooted in the study of Late Antiquity. The method situates the Qur’an within the broader intellectual and religious landscape of the ancient Near East, placing it in conversation with Jewish and Christian traditions circulating during the same period.

The discussion reflected a growing interest within UIN Sunan Kalijaga to position Qur’anic studies within global scholarly discourse. Participants explored how contextual and comparative approaches can deepen understanding of sacred texts while maintaining academic rigor.

Dean of FUPI, Prof. Robby Habiba Abror, said the event formed part of the faculty’s sustained internationalization agenda. He described the presence of Zellentin as a continuation of efforts to expand cross-border academic exchange and research collaboration.

For students, the session offered exposure to methodologies widely used in international Islamic studies programs. Faculty members said such engagements aim to strengthen analytical skills and broaden perspectives in interpreting foundational texts.

By hosting international scholars and engaging with global research frameworks, UIN Sunan Kalijaga continues to integrate classical Islamic scholarship with contemporary academic approaches, linking local academic traditions in Yogyakarta with wider intellectual conversations beyond Indonesia.