Leuven, Belgium – On September 30, 2025, a significant step was taken to strengthen international academic collaboration as UIN Sunan Kalijaga and KU Leuven signed the renewal of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), especially between the KU Leuven Faculty of Arts and the School of Graduate Studies, UIN Sunan Kalijaga. This renewed partnership is strategically supported by Erasmus+ funding, reaffirming the commitment of both institutions to global engagement.

The core focus of this revitalized MoU is international mobility, facilitating the exchange of both students and faculty members. Beyond mobility, the agreement lays the groundwork for broader collaborations, including joint research projects and other academic initiatives.

The renewal of the MoU is underpinned by a mutual commitment to deepen and expand meaningful academic cooperation between UIN Sunan Kalijaga and KU Leuven. A key element of this agreement is the joint effort to explore and secure further funding sources, both from European and Indonesian organizations, to ensure the sustainability and growth of their collaborative activities.

Immediate Mobility

Demonstrating the immediate impact of this renewed agreement, UIN Sunan Kalijaga will send two lecturers to KU Leuven for a visiting lecture program and two students to participate in a sandwich program for one semester. These initial exchanges signal the active implementation of the mobility clause and the high expectations for the mutual benefits derived from this partnership. This ongoing collaboration between UIN Sunan Kalijaga and KU Leuven is anticipated to provide valuable cross-cultural experiences, enhance academic quality, and foster joint research outcomes for both institutions.

In addition to the MoU signing ceremony, Prof. Noorhaidi, UIN Sunan Kalijaga was also invited to deliver a public lecture to Master's and Doctoral students at KU Leuven. The lecture's theme was "Maintaining the Equilibrium: Islam, Pluralism, and Nation-building in Indonesia." This address offered an opportunity for KU Leuven's graduate students to gain deep insights into the complex dynamics of Indonesian society, focusing on how the country balances its Islamic majority with its commitment to pluralism and its efforts in continuous nation-building. This engagement served to immediately activate the academic dimension of the partnership, providing valuable intellectual exchange alongside the institutional agreement.