UGM spearheads comparative religion program<\/p>\n
By Sri Wahyuni<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Asians, especially Indonesians, no longer
\nhave to go to the United States to pursue religion comparative
\nstudy at postgraduate level. Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity (UGM) has recently opened the program, the first of
\nits kind in Asia.<\/p>\n
The program's first batch of 23 students were selected from
\nsome 34 applicants. One is a Hindu, two Christians and the rest
\nMuslims.<\/p>\n
There are 28 lecturers -- 11 of them are foreign, mostly from
\nthe Middle East and U.S.'s Philadelphia Temple University.<\/p>\n
The local lecturers are from UGM, Yogyakarta's Kalijaga
\nInstitute of Islamic Religion (IAIN), Yogyakarta's Duta Wacana
\nChristian University, Yogyakarta's Sanata Dharma Catholic
\nUniversity and Satya Wacana Christian University in Salatiga,
\nCentral Java.<\/p>\n
Among the courses being offered is Abrahamic Religions which
\nis an introduction to Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The
\nprogram also offers Wisdom Religions which includes Hinduism,
\nBuddhism and Kong Hu Cu. Other courses include Religion and
\nSocial Sciences, Religion and Natural Sciences, Islam in
\nIndonesia, Christianity in Indonesia and Islam\/Christianity in
\nSoutheast Asia.<\/p>\n
The lectures are in English. According to the program's
\nmanaging director, Ahmad Mursyidi, the decision to conduct the
\nlectures in English was made because it is an international
\nprogram and designed to accommodate students from all over the
\nworld.<\/p>\n
\"Students for this academic year are all Indonesians but next
\nyear we will accept foreign students,\" said Mursyidi, adding that
\nthe program is the first in Asia.<\/p>\n
The fact that only 23 students have enrolled for the program,
\naccording UGM's rector Ichlasul Amal, was due to the relatively
\nlimited time in distributing information about the program.<\/p>\n
\"This program came from 'the top'. Everything was carried out
\nin rush,\" Ichlasul said, referring to a joint agreement between
\nthree Indonesian ministers, namely the minister of national
\neducation, minister of religion and minister of foreign affairs,
\non which the program was established.<\/p>\n
A number of state-run universities, including Kalijaga
\nInstitute and the Jakarta-based University of Indonesia, had been
\nconsidered as possible venues for the program but UGM was finally
\nchosen.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know why they finally chose UGM to host the program.
\nBut I think it's probably because we have the School of
\nPhilosophy here,\" said Mursyidi, who is also currently the rector
\nof Yogyakarta's Muhammadiyah University.<\/p>\n
According to Mursyidi, some state-run institutes of Islamic
\nreligion in the country have religion comparative study programs.
\nHowever, they are undergraduate programs and all the lecturers
\nare Muslims although they are dealing with other religions. As a
\nresult, their understanding of the subject may not be accompanied
\nby empathy, he added.<\/p>\n
Mursyidi believes that once empathy is formed among followers
\nof different religions, it may be possible, in the long-term, to
\nreduce inter-religion tension, as in Ambon.<\/p>\n
UGM's rector Ichlasul Amal added that harmony among followers
\nof different religions was very important. \"Learning religion
\ncomparative study will, hopefully, be able to create mutual
\nunderstanding among followers of different religions,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Free<\/p>\n
As the program is fully funded by the government, in this case
\nthe Ministry of National Education, all the 23 students are
\nexempted from the tuition fee of Rp 6 million a year, as they
\nhave been given scholarships by the ministry's Directorate
\nGeneral of Higher Education.<\/p>\n
The scholarship also covers their other expenses, such as Rp
\n575,000 (US$60) a month for living costs, Rp 70,000 a month for
\nbooks and Rp 110,000 a month for research.<\/p>\n
Some of the students, however, said it was not only the
\nscholarship that made them apply for the program. Most of them
\nsaid they did so to get a chance to do an in-depth study of other
\nreligions.<\/p>\n
\"As a Christian, I do feel that I have been too one-sided in
\nmy understanding of religions,\" said Izak Y.M. Lattu, a student
\nfrom Ambon, who is also a Satya Wacana Christian University
\ngraduate. He added that an incomprehensive understanding of
\nreligions had often incited conflict among followers of different
\nreligions.<\/p>\n
Another student, I Nyoman Kiriana, a graduate of the state-run
\nHindu Religion College Denpasar in Bali, acknowledged that the
\nspirit of brotherhood among followers of different religions have
\nactually been among Indonesians since a long time ago.<\/p>\n
\"Yet, we only understand other religions in bits and pieces.
\nThat's why I applied for the program. I want to learn about other
\nreligions directly from their sources,\" Kiriana said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ugm-spearheads-comparative-religion-program-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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