Universitas Nasional (UNAS), together with UCSI University Malaysia,\nthrough the UCSI\u2013UNAS Collaboration Center (UUCC), successfully held the\n1st International Multidisciplinary Conference. The conference, themed\n\u2018The Future of Islamic Civilisation, Sustainability, and Nation Building\nin the New Multipolarism Era\u2019, took place on 13\u201314 August 2026 at the\nUniversitas Nasional Hall in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Held in a hybrid format, the conference brought together academics,\nresearchers, students, practitioners, and stakeholders from various\ncountries to discuss new directions for Islamic civilisation,\nsustainability, nation-building, education, and global dynamics in the\nera of multipolarism.<\/p>\n
Amid the diversity of themes and perspectives presented, the Chairman\nof the Conference, Dr Iskandarsyah Siregar, positioned the conference\nnot merely as an academic forum, but also as a space to transform\nknowledge into a force for social and civilisational transformation.<\/p>\n
According to Iskandarsyah, current changes in the global structure\ndemand that higher education institutions move beyond academic\ntraditions oriented solely towards publications, reports, and\ninstitutional administrative compliance. Knowledge, he asserted, must\nhave the courage to leave the seminar room and present itself as a\nsolution to the problems of humanity, society, the environment, and the\nfuture of civilisation.<\/p>\n
\u2018An academic activity must not stop merely at administrative notes or\nacademic reports. All of it must become tangible benefit for the entire\nuniverse,\u2019 said Iskandarsyah in a statement on Saturday (25\/8\/2026).<\/p>\n
This statement became one of the central ideas of the conference. For\nIskandarsyah, the measure of a scientific forum\u2019s success lies not only\nin how many papers are presented or publications produced, but also in\nthe ability of the knowledge produced to be translated into\ncollaboration, policy, innovation, and action that provide concrete\nbenefits.<\/p>\n
Iskandarsyah explained that the first conference received\ninternational enthusiasm. A total of 42 presenters participated online,\nwhile 14 presenters from seven countries attended in person at\nUniversitas Nasional. The countries involved included Indonesia,\nMalaysia, Australia, Iran, Brunei Darussalam, China, and Russia.<\/p>\n
In addition to the presenters, the conference was also attended by\n102 non-presenter participants, forming a multidisciplinary academic\nspace with diverse scholarly, cultural, and national backgrounds.<\/p>\n
For Iskandarsyah, this diversity holds strategic meaning. The\nproblems of modern civilisation\u2014ranging from the ecological crisis,\ntechnological transformation, geopolitical uncertainty, changes in\neconomic structures, education, to the future of relations between\nnations\u2014can no longer be solved through a single field of study in\nisolation. Therefore, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and even\ntransdisciplinary approaches must be developed as the main character of\nfuture academic work.<\/p>\n
The conference was also designed to open space for sustainable\ncollaboration. Iskandarsyah expressed hope that the relationships formed\nduring the conference would develop into joint research, international\npublications, academic exchanges, innovation, community service, and\ncross-border institutional networks.<\/p>\n
The conference theme became increasingly relevant as the world moves\ntowards a more multipolar global structure. In this context, discussions\nabout the future of Islamic civilisation, according to the organisers,\ncannot be separated from issues of sustainability, national resilience,\neducation, leadership, technology, diplomacy, and global justice.<\/p>\n
Nangkula Utaberta, Head of the Indonesia Collaboration Program,\nexplained that the conference had five main focuses: Islamic thought and\ncivilisation, sustainability, national resilience, diplomacy and\nmultipolar interaction, and education. He emphasised three main\nobjectives of the conference: encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue,\nproducing actionable recommendations and policies, and strengthening\ncollaboration networks.<\/p>\n
This idea aligns with the direction built by Iskandarsyah that\ninternational forums must produce intellectual and institutional\nsustainability. The UNAS\u2013UCSI collaboration is therefore not designed to\nend after the conference concludes, but rather to develop into strategic\nprogrammes with broad impact.<\/p>\n
UUCC Director Paisal Halim asserted that collaboration is an\nimportant foundation in building a modern academic ecosystem.\nInternational conferences, according to him, must be able to bring\ntogether various ideas, build trust, expand networks, and create\ncooperation opportunities that were previously unavailable.<\/p>\n
\u2018Differences should not separate us in the academic world. When\nperspectives meet with mutual respect, knowledge becomes stronger, and\nwhen institutions work together with trust, opportunities will become\nwider,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
The sustainability dimension received special attention through a\npresentation by UNAS Vice Rector for Research, Community Service, and\nCooperation, Ernawati Sinaga. She asserted that nature is not merely a\ndevelopment sector, but the basic infrastructure of life. Artificial\nintelligence, biotechnology, renewable energy, smart cities, and modern\nmedicine will have no meaning if humanity loses clean air, safe water,\nproductive soil, healthy seas, and biodiversity.<\/p>\n
Ernawati also raised the One Health approach, namely the view that\nhuman health cannot be separated from the health of animals, plants, the\nenvironment, and the entire ecosystem. According to her, conservation\nmust be viewed as a long-term development investment. Higher education\ninstitutions are not enough merely to teach the concept of\nsustainability, but must become real examples of its implementation.<\/p>\n
\u2018Universities must also set an example that sustainability should\nbecome something that\u2026\u2019<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/uucc-conference-becomes-a-space-for-transforming-islamic-civilisation-and-global-ecosystem-sustainability-1786769492", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }