Seminar on Islamic Values in Establishing the New Civilization was held at the Grand Hotel, Jambi on December 5, 2009 organized by Institut Agama Islam Negeri Sultan Thaha Saifuddin, Jambi. The seminar was attended by more than 200 participants including Vice Rectors, Deans and Vice Deans, Director of Post Graduate Studies, the Head of Programs, Professors, Lecturers, and Students of Post Graduate Studies from different parts of Jambi.

The seminar was officially open by the Deputy Governor of Jambi in the Human Resource Development on behalf of the Governor. In his remarks, the Governor congratulated both IAIN Jambi and IIIT for organizing such an important seminar in Jambi and offered his assistance and support in all aspects. Remark by IIIT was delivered by Bro Habib Chirzin where he expressed an appreciation for the cooperation and the need for education reform through series of Islamic Epistemology studies and curriculum reform.

Brother Dr. Yamin Azra'i Cheng as a resource person made a very interesting and enlightening presentation on "Islamic Epistemology, Education and Civilization Reform" with contextual explanation and examples. He outlined the process of modernity, its origin and how modernity is understood in the contemporary Muslim worlds. According to Dr. Yamin, contemporary Muslim should resolve the duality in understanding modernity and at the same time engaging and enriching the process.

Prof  Dr. Rifyal Ka’bah enlightened the participants with his paper on ‘Islamic Law as a State Law in Indonesia’ where he summed up the term of Islamic law, theories of Islamic Law in Indonesia, Indonesian laws and regulations inspired by Islamic Law, Indonesia’s Islamic legal education, the Religious Court as an Islamic Court in the country and other related issues.

Brother Shahran shared with the participants the best practices on Islamic Epistemology and Education Reform in different countries and the need for strengthening the regional networking in the Islamic curriculum reform process.

Two papers were presented on the Second Session by a representative from Shariah Mandiri Bank on ‘Islamic Banking Development in Jambi’ followed by SAPA project team on ‘Islamic Education in Jambi: Towards Global Challenges.’

The Third Session was a Thesis Presentation and the papers presented were:

a. ‘Pemikiran Hukum Islam M. Rasyid Ridha Dalam Tafsir al Manar’ by A Tarmizi Sibawaihi
b. ‘Rekrutment Tenaga Pendidik di Sekolah Menengah Pertama Islam Terpadu Al Azhar Jambi’ by Suryawahyuni Latief
c. ‘Jiwa Dalam Diskursus Filsafat’ by Drs. H. Hartono Margono
d. ‘Keputusan Menabung di Bank Syariah Jambi oleh Dosen dan Karyawan IAIN STS Jambi’ by Rafidah Haritz. 

Brother Mohammad Siddik, IIIT representative also shared his ideas and experiences with the participants. The discussion was lively, enriching and challenging for further joint effort on Islamic Epistemology and Education Reform in the region.

The Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Dr. Hadri Hassan and the Director of Post Graduate Studies, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Syukri Saleh and the Chairman of the Development and Cooperation of IAIN Jambi, Dr. Sagaf Munawwar agreed to pursue further cooperation in the Islamic Epistemology and Curriculum Reform in the specific disciplines.

By; Habib Chirzin, IIIT Jakarta

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