UNU Jogja Lecturer Receives UIII Collaborative Research Grant 2026 to Study Gendered Care Labor in Islamic Schools Across Indonesia and Singapore

Yogyakarta, Indonesia – Mentoring, emotional support, and caregiving are fundamental to students' educational experiences, yet these forms of labor often remain overlooked in educational research. Addressing this gap, Rahayu Rizky, a lecturer at the Faculty of Education, Universitas Nahdlatul Ulama Yogyakarta (UNU Jogja), has been awarded the UIII Collaborative Research Grant 2026 to conduct a collaborative study on gendered care labor in Islamic educational institutions in Indonesia and Singapore.

The research is funded through the Collaborative Research Grant 2026 scheme of the Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII). Rahayu Rizky is collaborating with Dr. Nor Ismah, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS), and Alpha Amirrachman, PhD, Head of Quality Assurance and Deputy Director of ITS at UIII.

According to Rahayu Rizky, the collaboration provides an opportunity to examine educational practices from different social and cultural perspectives.

"Collaborating with researchers from UIII and the National University of Singapore enables us to explore educational practices across different contexts. By comparing Indonesia and Singapore, we hope to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how culture, policy, and social relations shape care practices within school communities," she said.

The research project, titled "Gendered Care Labor Across Contexts," compares caregiving practices in two Islamic educational institutions: MAN Insan Cendekia Serpong in Indonesia and Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah in Singapore.

Rather than focusing solely on curriculum or institutional structures, the study examines the often-invisible work that sustains school communities, including student mentoring, emotional support, character development, and other forms of caregiving that contribute to students' well-being and educational experiences. Through a comparative approach, the research team seeks to understand how care is organized, expected, and experienced within different social, cultural, and educational contexts.

Dr. Nor Ismah explained that care is a fundamental yet frequently overlooked dimension of school life, despite its significant role in shaping educational communities and informing education policy.

"We seek to understand how mentoring and caregiving practices are carried out by educators and how these roles are influenced by social contexts, cultural norms, and gender constructions in each country. By bringing Indonesia and Singapore into conversation, we hope this research will offer new perspectives on the importance of care work in building inclusive educational communities," she said.

The project is expected to contribute to scholarly discussions on education, gender equality, and policies that better recognize well-being and human relationships within schools. The findings are also anticipated to deepen understanding of how educational institutions both shape and are shaped by the individuals who perform care work on a daily basis.

Beyond its academic outputs, the research represents an important step in strengthening international collaboration between Indonesian and Singaporean scholars. The partnership provides opportunities for knowledge exchange on Islamic education, gender, and caregiving practices across diverse social and cultural settings.

Receiving the UIII Collaborative Research Grant 2026 also reflects UNU Jogja's commitment to advancing collaborative research that addresses global challenges while generating meaningful social impact. Through partnerships with researchers from UIII and the National University of Singapore, the university continues to expand its international research network and contribute Indonesian perspectives to contemporary educational discourse. [Latifah]