PTNU Halaqah at 35th NU Congress, Acting Rector of UNU Yogyakarta Reveals Strategies for Fostering Modern Scholars with Annahdliyah Character

Jombang (29/08) - Nahdlatul Ulama higher education institutions (PTNU) must be capable of responding to disruption and addressing various challenges in the higher education landscape. The integration of modern higher education and boarding school (pesantren) education ala UNU Yogyakarta can serve as a solution. Through Aswaja character education, academic strengthening, and the cultural atmosphere of pesantren, UNU Yogyakarta prepares students to become a superior generation.

This was stated by the Acting Rector of UNU Yogyakarta, Fahmy Akbar Idries, during the PTNU Rector Forum Halaqah titled "Integration of Pesantren, Aswaja, and Higher Education" on Saturday (29/8/2026). The agenda was part of a series of events for the 35th NU Congress at Pondok Pesantren Bahrul Ulum, Tambakberas, Jombang, East Java, on August 27–31, 2026.

In front of leaders from PTNU campuses, Fahmy presented his views titled "Building Modern Scholars with Annahdliyah Character." According to him, higher education currently faces various real challenges, ranging from technological disruption—especially with the advent of AI—ideological challenges, ecological crises, to disparities in graduate quality, including its contribution to 11–12 percent of unemployment.

Therefore, PTNU must be able to find solutions to all these issues by reinforcing its existence as a center of civilization rooted in the Islamic scientific tradition. "NU campuses should not merely be diploma factories and workforce producers. PTNU must transform into a center of civilization that integrates modern science and technology with the moral fortress of Aswaja Annahdliyah," he stated.

To realize this, PTNU is genuinely supported by three main pillars. As the first pillar, Aswaja values serve as the epistemological foundation and ethical compass of PTNU scholarship. As a reference, Nahdliyin campuses must refer to the NU Association Regulation (Perkum) No. 13 of 2023 on the NU Education System.

"The mandatory basis for all academic policies, research, and governance in NU higher education is contained in Perkum NU No. 13 of 2023, Articles 2 and 48, stating that PTNU produces graduates who are professional, superior, modern, yet remain deeply rooted in Islamic values of Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah (Aswaja)," stressed the figure who is active in PBNU.

Following Aswaja values, the pesantren tradition—which forms the soul and character of the campus—serves as the second pillar. Pesantren shapes morality, maintains a continuous scientific lineage (sanad), and builds close emotional-spiritual relationships between teachers (kiai) and students (santri). Meanwhile, modern education as the third pillar focuses on quality standardization, global competitiveness, and academic integrity.

University - Pesantren Integration

Modern higher education and pesantren each possess distinct strengths. Universities excel in mastering science and technology, critical thinking, and professional standards. Conversely, pesantren education excels in moral development, life meaning, and the mastery of Islamic texts and the Arabic language. As distinct pillars, both have common ground and complement each other.

"The two must be integrated because they confirm each other, rather than collide. The sophistication of modern science without a strong fortress of research ethics can give rise to technologies that harm humanity. This is where pesantren contribute to the concept of adab before knowledge based on Maqasid Shariah," he explained.

This integration can be applied to both curriculum and institutional structures. In curriculum integration, the concept of Aswaja can be incorporated into General Basic Courses (MKDU), modern research on classical Islamic literature, and fiqh approaches to study the latest scientific developments. Institutionally, implementation can be achieved by establishing campus-based pesantren and collaborating with pesantren networks.

This effort is currently being undertaken by UNU Yogyakarta. Acting as an agent of intermediary, UNU Yogyakarta strives to bridge modern education and pesantren education.

"The goal is to cultivate a superior generation capable of absorbing modern theories and methodologies while remaining morally, spiritually, and socially mature. At UNU Yogyakarta, we hold a fundamental ethos: the spirit of khidmah or service to religion, nation, state, and society," he elaborated.

Aswaja Values at UNU Yogyakarta

In the context of UNU Yogyakarta, the presence of 5 faculties and 10 study programs reflects an interdisciplinary scientific approach. Among these, there is only one faculty, namely the Faculty of Islamic Studies (FDI) with one study program: Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies (SII). However, FDI and SII are designed as core values that color the overall development of knowledge at UNU Yogyakarta.

From the first semester throughout their studies, all students are equipped with character education covering the understanding of Aswaja Islam, religious moderation, and national values that form NU's principle of patriotism.

"Aswaja values serve as the essence and color all structures and campus life, from the faculty's perspective on science, academic ethics, lecturer-student relations, to service orientations," explained Fahmy, who has been involved in the founding of UNU Yogyakarta from the start.

UNU Yogyakarta views the first year as a crucial period for student character formation. Only after that, from the second to fourth years, are students rigorously trained academically and enriched by cultural elements.

Thus, the UNU Yogyakarta academic community holds dual identities: an institutional identity as a future-oriented campus and a cultural identity as a Nahdliyin campus that preserves traditions such as sholawatan, istighotsah, and ngaji bandongan. "This NU cultural identity shapes the inner atmosphere and spirituality of students amidst modern academic demands," he said.

Beyond the cultural atmosphere, since its inception in 2017, UNU Yogyakarta formally established a pesantren that continues to be developed as a representative boarding school. The internalization of Aswaja values is also validated through a certification process resulting in a Diploma Supplement (SKPI).

College diplomas, pesantren certificates, along with knowledge and skills mark UNU Yogyakarta graduates as a superior generation ready to perform khidmah or serve religion, the nation, and society. "UNU's pesantren-based campus is designed as a transformative force to answer future challenges," concluded Fahmy. [Arif]