Minister of Religious Affairs stresses PTKIN alumni must become impactful intellectuals

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar affirmed that the formation of the National Forum of State Islamic Religious Higher Education (PTKIN) Alumni Associations marks a momentum to strengthen alumni contributions in building the community and the nation’s character.

According to him, PTKIN alumni bear a greater responsibility because they are not merely produced as scientists, but as scholars who must be able to deliver real impact for society.

“PTKIN does not only produce scientists, but also intellectuals, even scholars. A scholar is not merely someone who masters knowledge, but who applies that knowledge and creates an impact for society,” said the Minister while attending the National Forum of PTKIN Alumni Associations from across Indonesia in Jakarta on Monday.

According to the Minister, this character emerges because PTKIN carries out not only an academic function, but also a dakwah (Islamic propagation) function.

“Therefore, the success of PTKIN cannot be measured solely by the quality of its graduates, but also by the benefits its alumni bring to society,” he said.

He stressed the importance of building an educational ecosystem that attends to the entire chain of higher education development, from the quality of incoming students (input), graduates (output), alumni contributions (outcome), through to the impact produced.

According to him, the National PTKIN Alumni Forum was not established to influence the political direction of campuses or intervene in university leadership.

Rather, the forum is expected to serve as a vehicle that pools the intellectual strength of alumni to reinforce national character through thought and tangible contributions.

“This forum must also become a space for sharpening the intellectuality of its alumni. Every gathering should yield added value for the campus, society, and the nation,” he said.

Going forward, the Minister hopes the National PTKIN Alumni Forum can develop into an ever-widening network of scholars, including forging collaborations with alumni of religious higher education institutions from other faiths as part of strengthening national life.