A preliminary meeting with delegates from Southeast Asian state institutions was held on August 30, 2021, in conjunction with a virtual pre-conference session on the Zoom online platform for the 6th International Conference on Islam and Higher Education 2021 (ICIHE).
The event was attended by Professor Emeritus Dato’ Dr Ahmad bin Haji Zainuddin, UCYP Vice Chancellor and Associate Professor Dr Azhar bin Jaafar Ramli, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Development & Society Engagement). Professor Dr Ismail Suardi Wekke, the Chairman of Southeast Asia Academic Mobility (SEAAM) and Representative for Indonesia’s Higher Education, also was in attendance.
The discussion on Monday was the first session to gather input on the response and engagement of participants in the 6th International Conference on Islam and Higher Education 2021 (ICIHE).
The conference is a collaboration of academics from Malaysian and Southeast Asian institutes of higher learning. The essence that will be explored extends beyond Islamic knowledge and science in an effort to produce and disseminate the most up-to-date findings, theories, and knowledge for the advancement of Islamic knowledge in the archipelago.
In his speech, Professor Emeritus Dato ‘Dr. Ahmad bin Haji Zainuddin also emphasised the concept of ‘hybrid knowledge,’ in which educational institutions in Malaysia and regional countries work collaboratively on sharing ideas to produce secular knowledge innovations, one of which is technology based on Islamic knowledge.
Professor Dr. Ismail Suardi Wekke also expressed his gratitude for the partnership with Southeast Asian universities, which has opened several opportunities not only in the field of education but also in other fields.
The 6th International Conference on Islam and Higher Education (ICIHE) will be held on 2th and 3th of December 2021.