UNUJA Postgraduate Program Holds Doctoral Matriculation in Islamic Studies: Fostering Professional and Globally Competitive Academics

Probolinggo, October 11, 2025 – The Postgraduate Program of Nurul Jadid University (UNUJA) once again made academic history by organizing the Matriculation Program for the Doctoral Program in Islamic Studies. The two-day event, held from Saturday to Sunday, October 11–12, 2025, took place offline at the Postgraduate Lecturer Hall (Wisma Dosen) of UNUJA. This event marked an important moment for new doctoral students to gain academic orientation, understand scholarly values, and explore the direction of transformative Islamic-based research.

In his opening remarks, the Director of UNUJA’s Postgraduate Program, Dr. H. Akmal Mundiri, M.Pd., emphasized that the matriculation program is a crucial stage for doctoral students to adapt to the atmosphere of advanced scholarship. “Through this matriculation, students are expected to understand the integrative and interdisciplinary paradigm of Islamic scholarship and develop strong methodological skills to produce research that benefits society,” he stated.

Representing the Rector of UNUJA, Vice Rector III, Dr. H. Hasan Baharun, M.Pd., officially inaugurated the event. In his remarks, he underscored the importance of this activity as part of UNUJA’s commitment to nurturing Muslim scholars who are not only academically excellent but also contribute to the nation’s social and moral advancement. “This program is expected to strengthen scholarly networks with broad impacts, both for internal academic development and for contributing to societal progress,” he remarked.

The matriculation series featured several distinguished speakers in their respective fields, including Prof. Dr. Moh. Dahlan, M.Ag., who presented Ethics and Professionalism in Islamic Studies; Ahmad Sahidah, Ph.D., with the topic Islamic Socio-Intellectualism in Pesantren; Prof. Dr. M. Syaifuddin Zuhri, S.Th.I., MA., who discussed Writing Internationally Reputable Journal Articles; and Dr. Abu Khaer, MA.Hum., who elaborated on Socio-Religious Institutions in Pesantren.

A total of 28 new doctoral students from various regions across Indonesia attended the event in person, representing areas such as Probolinggo, Bondowoso, Situbondo, Indramayu, Riau, and Jambi. One of the participants, Hasbullah, Dean of the Faculty of Tarbiyah at the Islamic Institute of Qamarul Huda Bagu, Central Lombok, even traveled a long distance by motorcycle with two colleagues to join the matriculation. He shared his impression that academic collaboration among universities is essential. “I see UNUJA not merely as a place to study but also as a platform to expand academic networks and strengthen inter-campus collaboration,” he stated.

The matriculation program carries a strategic objective—to equip new doctoral students with academic insight, scholarly ethics, and research orientation rooted in the values of Islam rahmatan lil ‘alamin. Its benefits extend not only to the students but also to the Postgraduate Program and UNUJA as a whole. Through this activity, UNUJA continues to strengthen its position as an impactful Islamic university, capable of producing scholars and researchers who are integrity-driven, professional, and globally competitive.