The trust placed by the Asian Islamic university community in the Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan, to lead the Asian Islamic Universities Association (AIUA) as President for the 2026–2028 term reflects recognition of his leadership in strengthening Islamic higher education collaboration across Asia. This mandate simultaneously reinforces UIN Sunan Kalijaga's position as one of the Islamic universities most actively building academic networks, research ties, and international partnerships.

The election took place during the AIUA International Seminar and Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2026, held at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta from 23 to 25 June 2026, and attended by the leaders of AIUA member Islamic universities from across Asia.

Prof. Noorhaidi Hasan's election reflects confidence in his leadership track record in driving the transformation and internationalization of UIN Sunan Kalijaga. Under his stewardship, the university has continued to expand its global partnership networks, enhance academic quality, strengthen international research collaboration, and develop an institutional governance framework that is adaptive and internationally competitive.

In his remarks following his election, Prof. Noorhaidi affirmed that this mandate is not merely a personal honor, but a collective responsibility to strengthen the contribution of Islamic universities in addressing global challenges.

“AIUA must become an increasingly robust space for collaboration in building Islamic higher education that is excellent, inclusive, innovative, and capable of making a genuine contribution to world peace, sustainable development, and the advancement of knowledge,” he said.

He outlined that AIUA's leadership in the coming period will be directed toward strengthening the quality and competitiveness of Islamic universities through closer inter-institutional collaboration.

“Going forward, my focus will be on several things. First, strengthening quality assurance and academic collaboration among Islamic universities in Asia through joint research, faculty and student exchanges, and globally impactful scientific publications. Islamic universities must not operate in isolation, we must build a knowledge ecosystem that mutually strengthens one another,” he said.

Beyond strengthening academic quality, Prof. Noorhaidi also argued that Islamic universities need to assume a more strategic role in responding to the pressing issues of the contemporary world. In his view, Islamic campuses must be present both as centers for the development of knowledge and as spaces that reinforce peace and social cohesion.

"The world today faces polarization, conflict, and social fragmentation. This is precisely where Islamic universities must step up as a binding force," he affirmed.

As AIUA President for the 2026–2028 period, Prof. Noorhaidi will lead an organization that unites Islamic universities from across Asia to strengthen academic cooperation, institutional capacity development, academic community exchanges, research collaboration, and the diplomacy of Islamic higher education at both the regional and global levels.

For UIN Sunan Kalijaga, this mandate represents a strategic achievement in the university's internationalization journey. Leadership of AIUA opens wider opportunities for the development of cross-national collaboration, increased faculty and student mobility, strengthened joint research, and the expansion of international recognition for the contributions of Indonesia's Islamic universities.

This trust also continues UIN Sunan Kalijaga's historical record in AIUA leadership. In 2017, Prof. Yudian Wahyudi, then serving as Rector of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, was elected as AIUA President. During the same period, Dr. Muhammad Fakhry Husein, then serving as Chair of the Quality Assurance Institute (LPM) of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, was entrusted with the role of AIUA Secretary.

The re-election of UIN Sunan Kalijaga leadership to lead AIUA demonstrates the university's consistent contribution to building the network of Islamic higher education across Asia. More than an organizational achievement, this trust stands as recognition of UIN Sunan Kalijaga's academic capacity, leadership, and commitment to delivering Islamic higher education that is inclusive, collaborative, and relevant to the challenges of the global age. (humassk)