South Tangerang, FAH Online News — Faculty of Adab and Humanities (FAH) UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta has again demonstrated its commitment to expanding global academic networks through holding a Public Lecture with the theme “Teaching Islam in UK Higher Education”. This event will take place on Monday, November 24 2025, at 09.00–12.00 WIB, at the Main Session on the 2nd Floor of the FAH Building.

This activity presented a leading academic, Prof. Ayman Shihadeh, Professor of Intellectual History of the Islamic World from SOAS, University of London—one of the most influential institutions in the world in the development of Asian and African studies. The session was moderated by Prof. Drs. H. Amirul Hadi, MA, Ph.D., Professor of History and Islamic Civilization at UIN Jakarta.

In his speech, the Dean of the Faculty of Adab and Humanities, Dr. Ade Abdul Hak, S.Ag., SS, M.Hum., expressed his high appreciation for Prof.'s willingness. Shihadeh shared a scientific perspective with the FAH academic community. He emphasized that international standard academic activities are proof of FAH's seriousness in strengthening the academic climate which relies on research, critical discussion and global cooperation.

The Dean also stressed the importance of understanding the dynamics of Islamic teaching in the Western world, especially in the UK, as part of efforts to broaden the academic horizons of students and lecturers. “In the era of globalization of knowledge, we not only need to understand the development of Islamic studies within the Muslim world, but also how Islam is studied, taught and constructed in the international academic space,” he said. He hopes that through this activity FAH can become stronger as a center for the development of Islamic humanities that is open, inclusive and internationally competitive.

In his presentation, Prof. Shihadeh invited participants to explore fundamental issues that often arise in modern historical narratives: why the Eastern world experienced decline, and what caused Muslims to be considered lagging behind in global intellectual development. This discussion is positioned in a long historical framework, ranging from changes in socio-political structures, stagnation of classical scientific traditions, to the impact of colonialism on the form of educational institutions and knowledge production in the Islamic world. He emphasized that the discourse on “Timur”'s decline cannot be separated from the way the West views the Islamic world as well as how Muslims understand themselves.

Furthermore, Prof. Shihadeh outlined the development of Oriental Studies, a discipline that since the 18th century has been the entry point for Western academics in studying Eastern languages, cultures and religions. He explained that although orientalism has a problematic history— as criticized by Edward Said— this field continues to evolve and has now given rise to a more critical, reflective and multidisciplinary approach.

He then mapped the development of Islamic studies in England into four main academic contexts, namely:

1. Area Studies – studies Islam through the perspective of regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia, or Africa.
2. Religious Studies – places Islam as a religious tradition that is analyzed along with other religious traditions.
3. History – examines the development of Islam in a long historical trajectory.
4. Other Disciplinary Contexts – such as philosophy, philology, anthropology, politics, as well as other branches of the humanities.

This framework suggests that Islamic studies in the UK has shifted from classical orientalism towards a richer multidisciplinary understanding.

One of the important points emphasized by Prof. Shihadeh is the need to expand space for publications and teaching about Islam in British universities. He noted that despite significant progress, the position of Islamic studies was still more marginal than the study of Christianity, which had long roots in the European academic tradition. He emphasized his vision with the statement: “I want to bring Islamic Humanities in Europe.” According to him, Islamic Humanities—, which includes the study of Islamic thought, culture, intellectual history and classical texts, has great potential to enrich the humanities ecosystem in Europe while opening up new spaces of understanding about the Islamic world.

In the closing session, Prof. Amirul Hadi emphasized that Prof.'s presentation. Shihadeh provides a comprehensive understanding of the historical development of Islamic Studies in England as well as how the dynamics of orientalism shaped academic approaches to Islam. He also highlighted the interest of European academics in culture and Islam in Indonesia as part of a long process of changing orientalism from a colonial approach to a more critical and constructive academic approach.

“This shift in orientalism then opened up space for the birth of new disciplines in Islamic studies,” he explained.

This public lecture received an enthusiastic response from students, lecturers and researchers who attended the event space. Through this activity, FAH UIN Jakarta reiterates its role as an institution that actively builds international academic dialogue and broadens the academic community's insight into the dynamics of the development of Islamic studies at the global level.

By presenting world academic figures such as Prof. Ayman Shihadeh, FAH UIN Jakarta not only enriches the scientific treasures of the campus environment, but also opens up opportunities for wider scientific collaboration between Indonesia and leading higher education institutions in the UK.

Written: Muhammad Suyuthi Alkautsar

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