From Pesantren to Kuningan: IAI Al-Ikhlash Officially Established
A dream nurtured for over two decades has finally taken shape. Emerging from the pesantren (Islamic boarding school) environment, the vision to provide accessible Islamic higher education for the people of Kuningan has officially been realised through the establishment of the Al-Ikhlash Islamic Institute (IAI) Al-Ikhlash Kuningan.
Pondok Pesantren Modern Al-Ikhlash officially launched IAI Al-Ikhlash during a Grand Launching event held at the IAI Al-Ikhlash Campus in Kuningan, West Java, on Wednesday (2/9/2026).
This inauguration marks a new chapter for the institution, which has been pioneered since 2004 and has finally obtained legal status through the Decree of the Minister of Religious Affairs (KMA) Number 531 of 2026.
Approximately 500 participants attended the momentous event, including members of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) of Kuningan Regency, representatives from Kopertais Region II West Java, Kuningan Regency agencies, the Kuningan Regency Ministry of Religious Affairs, university rectors from across Kuningan, alumni, and community leaders.
The presence of Prof. Muhammad Ali Belao, Chairman of IMAM Academy Manchester, UK, added an international dimension to the launch.
However, for the Rector of IAI Al-Ikhlash Kuningan, Dr KH M. Tata Taufik, the establishment of this campus is not merely about increasing the number of higher education institutions in West Java. More importantly, IAI Al-Ikhlash aims to serve as a bridge for the Kuningan community to obtain higher education without losing their Islamic and pesantren roots.
“Through the educational pathway, starting from the pesantren and now with the establishment of a university, our primary focus is to ease access to higher education in Kuningan. We are focusing on Islamic sciences and education to ensure a strong connection to our pesantren roots,” said Tata Taufik in a statement to the media on Thursday (3/9/2026).
This spirit is reflected in the four study programmes that form the initial foundation of IAI Al-Ikhlash: Islamic Education Management (MPI), Islamic Religious Education (PAI), English Language Education (PBI), and Al-Quran and Tafsir Sciences (IAT).
These four programmes are designed to produce graduates who possess not only academic competence but are also capable of reading societal needs and providing solutions through practical action.
In this way, the pesantren will not stop being a place for religious education, but will evolve into a base for producing human resources possessing both scientific capacity and social concern.