The Faculty of Dirasat Islamiyah (FDI) at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta held a Faculty Meeting for the preparation of the upcoming Even Semester of the 2021/2022 Academic Year on Wednesday, February 23, 2022. The event, conducted via Zoom Meeting, was attended by 33 participants, including full-time lecturers, part-time lecturers, foreign lecturers, and faculty leaders.

In his opening speech, the Dean of FDI, Dr. Mohammad Syairozi Dimyathi Ilyas, M.A., conveyed several important points: First, he congratulated two new doctors, Dr. Fatihunnada and Dr. Ade Pahrudin, for completing their PhD studies, hoping that this achievement would motivate others. Second, in 2022, FDI will welcome a representative from Al-Azhar University who will be teaching at FDI and other faculties. Third, the Rector has encouraged FDI to apply for international accreditation. Fourth, academic advisors are scheduled to meet with their students, especially those in their 8th semester or higher, to monitor their thesis progress. Fifth, hybrid classes will be conducted for students in their 2nd and 4th semesters. Sixth, this semester, students both from within and outside the university will begin implementing the Merdeka Belajar curriculum as launched by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Seventh, thesis supervisors should be present during student thesis defenses, and examiners should discuss grades with the supervisors, as they are more familiar with the students' abilities and attitudes. Eighth, students with very weak Arabic skills should be directed to transfer to a different program.

The Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Yuli Yasin, M.A., also shared updates: First, in December 2021, the undergraduate program at FDI received an extension of its accreditation with the highest rating for the next five years. Second, in 2021, an Arabic matriculation program was held due to many new students scoring very low on their TOEFL exams. Third, students should be encouraged to graduate on time. Fourth, lecturers should not give an “A” grade to all students in the class but should ensure that grades reflect students' efforts and abilities. Fifth, the hybrid learning system for the 2nd and 4th semesters is still awaiting feedback on students' preparedness. Sixth, only 17 out of 27 applicants were admitted to the graduate program for the Even Semester. Seventh, FDI plans to host an international seminar in collaboration with Al-Azhar University. Eighth, FDI plans to apply for international accreditation through FIBAA. Lastly, FDI is expected to open a PhD program.

Meanwhile, the Vice Dean for General Administration, Dr. H. M. Nurul Irfan, M.Ag., reminded everyone that "one of the requirements to open a PhD program is the presence of professors. Therefore, we encourage FDI lecturers to continue publishing in Scopus-indexed journals so they can apply for professorship."

The Vice Dean for Student Affairs, Alumni, and Cooperation, Dr. Moch. Syarif Hidayatullah, MA, reported the following: First, four students will be sent to Qatar to participate in a debate competition on behalf of Indonesia. Second, lecturers are required by the university to accompany students to achieve national and international-level achievements. Third, lecturers are advised to guide students to conduct the General Election (Pemilu Raya) calmly and respectfully. Fourth, alumni from the undergraduate and graduate programs now have an organized alumni association. Fifth, FDI has established cooperation with two pesantrens (Islamic boarding schools) in 2021. Sixth, cooperation with a university in Tunisia has been paused for the past two years due to a lack of funding from the university. FDI has also gained a foreign lecturer from Al-Azhar University, Egypt, as a result of the collaboration between UIN Jakarta and Al-Azhar University. Fathallah, an Al-Azhar PhD graduate in Arabic Literature with a focus on Balaghah and Naqd, will teach at FDI for three years.

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