Auditorium of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA SPs UIN Jakarta, SPs NEWS: The Graduate School (SPs) of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held a National Seminar entitled "Development of Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies through the Utilization of Information and Communication Technology". The event, which took place at the Auditorium of Prof. Dr. Suwito, MA, on Monday, November 17, 2025, was a progressive academic response to the dynamics of Islamic science in the digital era.

This national seminar, which was attended by 63 presenters with diverse scientific backgrounds, started from an essential need. Dr. Rizqi Handayani, MA, as the Chairman of the Committee, reported that this event was held at the active request of the students themselves. They need a platform to publish and present research results, both sourced from class papers and ongoing research.

The topic raised, namely interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary Islamic studies that are friendly to information technology, shows the sensitivity of SPs to the latest phenomenon. This is proof of SPS's commitment to not only run regular lectures, but also present a dynamic academic atmosphere and encourage real work.

The event was opened by the Director of SPs, Prof. Dr. Zulkifli, MA. In his remarks, he expressed his deep appreciation for the presence of three speakers. The Director of SPs also emphasized that this National Seminar is part of a series of dense academic activities that will be held by SPs.

He highlighted the importance of academic activism with a sharp statement: "Academics exist if they work, if they don't, they are not academics." This message became a spark of enthusiasm for all attendees to make the work a barometer of scientific existence.

Prof. Zulkifli also conveyed the agenda of SPs. On November 19, 2025, there will be two Studium Generale: first, on "The Relationship between the Catholic Church and Indonesian Muslims" with Dr. Greg Soetomo, SJ, and the second, with the theme "Cyberfaith Among Muslim Millennials," as well as the launch of  the Indonesian Lab of Anthropo-Psychology of Religion and Spirituality.

The peak of academic activities at the end of the year is Research Day on December 4, 2025. Prof. Zulkifli challenged students to attend and dare to refute the work of his lecturers who will present research results, emphasizing the importance of dialectics and constructive criticism in the scientific tradition.

The national seminar session presented three Professors from different fields of science, creating a rich and comprehensive panel: Prof. Dr. M. Atho Mudzhar, MSPD (Sociology of Islamic Law), Prof. Dr. Syopiansyah Jaya Putra, M.Si (Management Information Systems), and Prof. Ai Fatimah Nur Fuad, Ph.D (Islamic Studies).

Prof. Atho Mudzhar began the session with his presentation, "Interdisciplinary Approaches in Islamic Studies." He defines interdisciplinary Islamic studies as the use of other disciplines such as medicine, archaeology, or astronomy to complement conventional approaches (tafsir, fiqh, hadith) in studying the object of study.

Prof. Atho presented captivating examples of interdisciplinary relevance. The truth of the saving of Pharaoh's body (QS. Jonah: 92) was only revealed thanks to archaeology and medicine that found the remains of salt on the mummy of King Ramses II.

Similarly, the understanding of the efficacy  of black cumin as a cure for all diseases is now strengthened by modern physiological and pharmaceutical research. In fact, the Prophet Solomon's communication with ants can be explained through the help of entomology.

The second speaker, Prof. Syopiansyah Jaya Putra, presented his visionary views in his presentation, "The Transformation of Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies in the Digital Era: Integrative Models Based on AI, Big Data, and ICT."

He proposed a four-key model: ICT as infrastructure, Big Data as the analytical base, Artificial Intelligence (AI) as computational intelligence, and Islamic Epistemology as a compass of values and ethics.

This integration has proven to be successful in expanding access and personalization of Islamic learning, enriching analytical research on religious texts, and strengthening segmentative digital da'wah. This model offers a new framework to address the challenges of digitizing Islamic studies, such as the fragmentation of authority and the digital literacy gap.

Prof. Ai Fatimah Nur Fuad closed the panel with her presentation on "Interdisciplinary Approach in Studying Islam," emphasizing that this approach is a necessity.

According to him, studying Islamic teachings from only one aspect can cause simplification of meaning and make religious discourse not develop. Islamic teachings grow and develop in the midst of an ever-changing life, demanding fresh ijtihad or new thinking.

This approach, which Prof. Amin Abdullah calls  scientific networking (takamul al ulum), is essential to understand the linkage, influence, and implications of Islamic teachings with the human experience, which involves many factors such as history, culture, and politics.

The national seminar ended with a closing statement from Prof. Atho Mudzhar. He considered this activity very positive because it brought together knowledge that has similarities and differences, which ultimately enriches science.

Responding to concerns about the "dilution" of core science because it involves too much auxiliary science, Prof. Atho made an affirmation: "I don't think the more knowledge we derive from a subject the more it will be broadened, but the point is not to forget." This message is an inspirational conclusion, reinforcing the optimism that the interdisciplinary approach actually expands and enriches, without eliminating the essence of Islamic science.

The event continued with a colloquium session divided into nine parallel sessions, which is clear evidence of SPs' efforts to ground interdisciplinary Islamic studies and technology in the midst of the academic community.(JA)