Hidayat Nur Wahid: GIHES a turning point for transforming the world of education
Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR RI) Hidayat Nur Wahid has said that the holding of the Global Islamic Holistic Education Summit (GIHES) 2026 represents a turning point in transforming the national education system through holistic education.
“We emphasise that a comprehensive vision of education is the key to human development,” he said in Jakarta on Thursday.
Together with Din Syamsuddin, he gave full support to the holding of the Global Islamic Holistic Education Summit (GIHES) 2026, which is scheduled to take place on 5–6 September 2026 at the Hotel Borobudur, Jakarta.
According to him, this international forum is regarded as a strategic step to strengthen the education system in Indonesia through a holistic approach rooted in the long tradition of pesantren.
He stressed that a comprehensive vision of education is the key to human development.
According to him, the holding of GIHES has a very strategic urgency and everyone needs to ensure that the GIHES agenda truly becomes a solid foundation in building a holistic education system in Indonesia.
Hidayat Nur Wahid also emphasised that the grand narrative of GIHES must refer to the history of pesantren, which have been the backbone of education in the country, even long before Indonesia’s sovereignty was proclaimed.
“Our education system today very much needs to look to and draw inspiration from the world of pesantren. We must remember that pesantren have existed and been centres of knowledge civilisation long before Indonesia became independent,” he said.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Islamic scholar Din Syamsuddin highlighted the importance of holistic education as a solution to the challenges of moral disintegration in the modern era. Education must not merely be a transfer of knowledge, but must also touch the spiritual aspect.
He said that holistic education is an urgent need for this nation and that through GIHES it will be reaffirmed that education cannot be separated from complete spiritual and humanitarian values.
He added that the strength of pesantren as a reference for holistic education lies in their ability to maintain the nation’s identity while remaining adaptive to the times.
“We do not need to look too far abroad for an education model if we are not grounded in our national identity,” he said.
“Pesantren are the roots of authentic Indonesian education that have been tested by time since the pre-independence era. GIHES must make this adaptive pesantren model the primary reference in developing a holistic education curriculum in Indonesia,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the GIHES 2026 Committee KH. Anang Rikza stated that the holding of GIHES 2026 is also an integral part of the commemoration and he officially invited all elements of Islamic education worldwide to attend the forum.
“We invite and hope for the participation and presence of Islamic education stakeholders, Islamic institutions, rectors, university deans, and practitioners of Islamic institutional education to attend GIHES 2026,” he said.