UC visit inspires Indonesian school

Hanoem Wijaya

10 January 2012: A group of 27 Head of Study Programs from the State Islamic Institute Sunan Ampel (IAIN) in Surabaya, Indonesia visited the University of Canberra last month to take part in a six-day workshop at the new InSPIRE Centre.

The program was created and delivered for the Faculty of Education's Education Institute by Associate Professor Jackie Walkington.

The aim of the workshop was to redesign the curriculum of the study programs at IAIN Sunan Ampel and consider development in the area of studies, employment and pedagogy. The workshop also aimed to integrate Islamic studies with social sciences.

The visit was initiated by Nur Fitriatin Yamin, a staff member from IAIN Sunan Ampel, who is studying a PhD in Education at the University of Canberra and jointly organised by Marketing and International and the Faculty of Education.

The vision of IAIN Sunan Ampel is to become a centre for excellence for multi disciplinary Islamic Studies in Indonesia.

Secretary of Study Program of Islamic Family Law Ahmad Fajruddin Fatwa said he enjoyed the workshop.

“I learnt that the distribution skills in curriculum have to be clear, accurate, reliable and measurable. Also, the arrangement of curriculum has to be clear and logical. I was highly impressed by the amount of materials that is being taught in a short time,” he said.

L-R: Dr Janet Smith presents a certificate to Head of Study Program of Islamic Education Management Husniyyatus Salamah Zainiyyati

The visit was also an opportunity for the Vice-Chancellor of IAIN Sunan Ampel Professor Nur Syam and IAIN Gorontalo Vice-Chancellor Professor Muhammadiyah-Amin to discuss future academic collaboration with University of Canberra Pro Vice-Chancellor International and Major Projects Professor Monique Skidmore and staff from the Faculty of Education.

“The purpose of our visit was to help motivate and assist the Head of Study Programs to develop their curriculum. This will bring us forward to our vision to become the State Islamic University in the next two to three years. I believe a program such as this one will equip our staff with the knowledge and experience of a higher education institution outside of Indonesia,” Professor Syam said.

“The University of Canberra has been very helpful providing our staff with the theory and practical knowledge on curriculum development. We look forward to continuing this program in the next three years and working closely together in improving the program.”