Yogyakarta, 30 October 2025 — In an effort to strengthen academic networks among State Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTKIN) in Indonesia, the Library Science Study Program, Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences (FADIB), UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, organized a Visiting Lecture and Student Mobility program with the Department of Islamic Library and Information Science, Faculty of Adab and Humanities, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung.

Four students and five lecturers from the Library Science Study Program took part in the activity and were warmly welcomed with a traditional welcoming dance performance by students of UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung. The event continued with a meeting in the Leadership Meeting Room, attended by the Vice Dean III for Student Affairs, Dr. Dadan Firdaus, M.Ag., Head of the Islamic Library and Information Science Department, Muhammad Riza, M.Hum., along with the faculty leadership and student representatives.

Strengthening inter-PTKIN collaboration

In his welcome address, Dr. Dadan Firdaus, M.Ag., expressed his gratitude and pride over the visit. He emphasized that this activity serves as a forum for fostering ties among PTKIN in Indonesia and should not stop at a single meeting. He hoped that the collaboration would continue and develop into broader forms of cooperation, particularly in the academic domain, such as joint scientific publications, collaborative research, and other activities that reinforce academic ties between the two universities.

He further explained that the Visiting Lecture and Student Mobility program had been well-coordinated to ensure smooth implementation and to avoid miscommunication. As a relatively new department, the Islamic Library and Information Science Department is currently strengthening its human resources by recruiting honorary lecturers and reassigning lecturers from other departments. Since the previous year, several civil servant (CPNS) positions have also been opened to meet the department’s teaching needs.

As a study program that has only been established for about three years, the department needs competent teaching staff to enhance its academic quality. Therefore, the presence of lecturers from the Library Science Study Program of UIN Sunan Kalijaga in this Visiting Lecture activity is highly appreciated and considered very helpful in supporting the department’s development. He concluded his remarks by thanking the Library Science Study Program of UIN Sunan Kalijaga for choosing the Islamic Library and Information Science Department at UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung as a partner for the Visiting Lecture and Student Mobility program.

Expanding collaboration beyond Yogyakarta

In his speech, the Head of the Library Science Study Program at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Muhammad Ainul Yaqin, M.Ed., conveyed his appreciation for the warm and memorable reception. He explained that this activity is part of the National Visiting Lecture program, which aims to open opportunities for collaboration between lecturers and students of the Library Science Study Program and academic communities at other universities outside the Special Region of Yogyakarta.

He also welcomed Dr. Dadan Firdaus’s invitation to strengthen formal and sustainable cooperation with UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung. According to him, this collaboration can be developed through various productive initiatives in the fields of scientific studies, joint publications, and cross-university academic activities. Such activities are expected to not only strengthen academic networks but also enrich comparative experiences in library and information science education at both institutions.

By:

M. Azky Fuadi Z A (afz)