UIN Public Relations – Four faculty members from Sultan Maulana Hasanuddin State Islamic University (UIN SMH) in Banten participated in the fifth annual conference organized by King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language (KSGAAL). This international academic forum focuses on the main theme “Arabic Language and Culture: Interactions and Cross-Border Dimensions” (Arabic Language and Culture: Interactions and Dimensions Beyond Borders).
The participation of the UIN SMH Banten delegation aims to expand academic networks, strengthen the internationalization of higher education, and develop the study of Arabic language and culture from an interdisciplinary and transnational perspective.
The four faculty members representing UIN SMH Banten at the event were Prof. Dr. Sholahuddin Al Ayubi, M.A., Dr. Siti Shalihah, M.Ag., Dr. Rijal Firdaos, M.Pd., and Umayah, S.P.Spi., M.Pd.
The fifth annual KSGAAL conference positions the Arabic language not merely as a tool for communication, but also as a medium for cultural expression, identity formation, the transmission of knowledge, and interaction among societies on a global scale.
The theme of this conference is of crucial relevance to the development of Arabic language studies at Islamic universities in Indonesia. The Arabic language holds a highly strategic position in the Islamic scholarly tradition, while also evolving dynamically in the fields of education, culture, diplomacy, and international communication.
The close interplay between language and culture opens up opportunities for in-depth study of how Arabic is learned, used, transformed, and interpreted by communities outside of native-speaking countries. In this context, Indonesia’s experience as a country with a very large community of Arabic language learners offers an important perspective in the international academic discourse.
For UIN SMH Banten, this theme aligns with its vision of advancing the study of the Arabic language, Islamic studies, and culture, as well as an interdisciplinary approach that connects classical scholarly traditions with the dynamics of contemporary society.
The active participation of UIN SMH Banten faculty members in this forum reflects the institution’s commitment to strengthening academic ties with various international organizations focused on the development of the Arabic language.
Participation in international academic forums provides a golden opportunity to broaden the exchange of ideas, keep abreast of the latest developments in the study of Arabic language and culture, and identify opportunities for collaborative research and joint scholarly publications.
Furthermore, this forum serves as a strategic platform for introducing Indonesia’s academic perspectives into the global landscape of Arabic language development. The experience of learning Arabic in Indonesia—which takes place in formal educational settings, madrasahs, Islamic boarding schools, and universities—offers a relevant empirical context for the discourse on the spread and development of the Arabic language across borders.
It is hoped that the participation of UIN SMH Banten faculty members in this international conference will make a tangible contribution to the implementation of the Three Pillars of Higher Education, particularly in the areas of research development, improvement of teaching quality, and expansion of academic collaboration.
The various new insights and perspectives gained from this international forum can be used to enrich teaching materials, formulate collaborative research agendas, and improve the quality of scientific publications that meet international standards.
This strategic move also underscores that the internationalization of higher education institutions is not merely measured by their participation in global events, but rather by their ability to translate the outcomes of that participation into knowledge, educational innovation, publications, and sustainable collaboration.
Through the participation of these four faculty members in the KSGAAL conference, UIN SMH Banten continues to consistently expand the space for academic dialogue between Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, while strengthening its role in advancing the study of Arabic language and culture on the international stage.
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