Achieving Global Recognition, UNU Jogja Students Represent Indonesia at the International Olympiad of Islamic Studies and Arabic Language in Kazan

Kazan, Russia — Three students from the Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies (SII) Program of UNU Jogja, Hilya Fuadiya, Zumroh Solikhin, and Mutatohirin represented Indonesia at the International Olympiad of Islamic Studies and Arabic Language held at the Russian Islamic University on Wednesday (12/11).

The international olympiad, which brought together participants from 20 Islamic universities worldwide, assessed students’ competencies in three major areas: Islamic Law, Fundamentals of Religion, and Arabic Language. In addition to written examinations, participants also took part in direct oral communication tests conducted entirely in Arabic.

In this year’s competition, Hilya Fuadiya secured an impressive 4th place globally in the Ushuluddin category and received an award from the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Tatarstan (Russian Federation). Meanwhile, Zumroh Solikhin earned 8th place worldwide in the categories of Fiqh and Syafi'i Ushul Fiqh.

Acting Rector of UNU Jogja, Dr. Suhadi, M.A., Ph.D, stated that this achievement aligns with the university’s efforts to strengthen its international capacity through five development pillars: Go-Innovative, Go-Digital, Go-Collaborative, Go-Professional, and Go-Global.

“This global achievement demonstrates that UNU Jogja’s internationalization—particularly the Go-Global pillar—is progressing in the right direction. We are committed to creating more opportunities for our students to compete and collaborate at the global level,” he said.

The accompanying lecturer from the SII Program, Ahmad Hujaj Nurrohim, emphasized that UNU Jogja’s participation reaffirms Indonesia’s presence within the global landscape of Islamic education.
“We are honored to represent Indonesia in an event that brings together participants from various Muslim-majority countries,” he said.

During the opening session, Rector of the Russian Islamic University and Kazan Islamic University, Rafik Mukhametshin, highlighted the Olympiad as an important momentum for strengthening international academic networks. Similarly, Alexey Petrov, Deputy Director of the Foundation for the Support of Islamic Culture, Science, and Education, noted that an olympiad of this scale had never been held before in Russia, while expressing appreciation for the high enthusiasm of participants.

Ahmad Hujaj Nurrohim added that the participation of UNU Jogja students represents a tangible contribution to the international Islamic academic community and opens broader opportunities for academic collaboration with Islamic educational institutions worldwide. [Latifah]