Indonesia
The Director of Postgraduate Studies at UNISMA, Mas’ud Said, together with Halim Soebahar, Chair of the Lembaga Pengembangan Pesantren dan Diniyah Jawa Timur (LPPD), served as keynote speakers at the workshop titled “Development of Wasathiyah Islam, Strengthening the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, and LPPD Programs.” The event was held on the seventh floor of Building B, in the KH. Wahab Chasbullah Hall.
LPPD, which stands for East Java Institute for the Development of Pesantren and Diniyah Education, is an institution established by Pemerintah Provinsi Jawa Timur (East Java Provincial Government). This institution is mandated to enhance the quality of Islamic boarding school education through the organization and development of diniyah education programs.
One of scholarship initiatives implemented at UNISMA is Master’s scholarship program, which admitted cohorts in 2019 and 2021, as well as a Doctoral scholarship program launched in 2022. Scholarship recipients have demonstrated strong academic productivity, producing scholarly publications indexed both nationally and internationally.
In 2024, LPPD also launched the Doctoral (S3) Scholarship Program for Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTKI) in East Java, which is hosted at the UNISMA Postgraduate Program.
Workshop participants came from various pesantren and educational institutions, including STAIMA Al-Hikam, Universitas Al-Qolam, UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Ma’had Aly An-Nur II Al-Murtadlo Malang, Ma’had Aly An-Nur I Al-Murtadlo Malang, STAINU Malang, Universitas KH Abdul Chalim Pacet Mojokerto, Universitas Yudharta Pasuruan, STAI Al-Yasini Pasuruan, IAI Al-Khozini Sidoarjo, Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo, STAI Taruna Surabaya, Ma’had Aly Al-Fitrah Surabaya, STAI Al-Akbar Surabaya, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surabaya, Universitas Sunan Giri Surabaya, and UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya.
The Secretary of LPPD and workshop moderator, Saifuddin Zuhri, explained that the workshop series is being conducted across multiple regions in accordance with the regional coordination boards (Bakorwil) throughout East Java.
During the session, Prof. Mas’ud Said delivered a presentation titled “Religion as the Ethical and Moral Foundation of Governance.”
He also highlighted potential collaboration prospects between East Java Province and Al-Azhar Observatory for Combating Extremism in efforts to address extremism.
Meanwhile, Prof. Halim Soebahar shared insights into the institutional development of LPPD from its early establishment to the present. He explained that LPPD facilitates scholarship programs for Islamic higher education institutions (PTKI) to strengthen the development of pesantren and diniyah education.
The professor of Islamic Education further noted that scholarship programs had already been introduced during the administration of former governor Imam Utomo. Under the leadership of the current governor, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, the scholarship scheme has expanded beyond undergraduate programs to include Master’s and Doctoral levels.
The workshop concluded with an active and engaging discussion between participants from various universities and the speakers, covering not only the presented materials but also strategic and technical aspects of LPPD scholarship funding.
