UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta Ranks 29th Globally in Theology

State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta has broken into the 29th position worldwide in the field of Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies based on the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. According to the QS publication released on Thursday, this achievement is bolstered by excellent performance across several assessment indicators, with an overall score of 76.1. These include Employer Reputation at 49.1, H-index at 92.1, Citations per Paper at 94.5, and Academic Reputation at 75. “This achievement is the fruit of collaboration and dedication from the academic community of UIN Jakarta in building a robust and globally competitive academic tradition,” stated UIN Jakarta Rector Asep Saepudin Jahar in his remarks in Jakarta on Friday (27/3). Asep noted that this milestone also signifies a significant surge for UIN Jakarta on the global stage. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025, UIN Jakarta was ranked 101–150 worldwide, and in the 2024 edition, it was in the 101–140 range for Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies. UIN Jakarta has secured a higher position than several renowned global universities, such as Fordham University (30), University of Birmingham (31), Université catholique de Louvain (32), University of Aberdeen (33), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (34), The Catholic University of America (35), and Al-Azhar University (36). At the national level, several Indonesian universities also feature in this ranking, including UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta (37), Universitas Gadjah Mada (45), Universitas Islam Indonesia (101–150), and UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang (101–150). The top 10 worldwide in Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies are occupied sequentially by University of Notre Dame, University of Oxford, Harvard University, Durham University, Boston College, University of Chicago, University of Cambridge, KU Leuven, Duke University, and Yale University. Asep hopes this accomplishment can be maintained and elevated, while also encouraging UIN Jakarta to enter rankings in various other fields. “This is not just an achievement, but also our responsibility to continuously enhance quality and strengthen the academic tradition at UIN Jakarta,” he said. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Higher Education in Islamic Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Religious Affairs views this achievement as further affirming the position of State Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTKIN) as part of globally competitive universities in religious studies. Director of Higher Education in Islamic Religious Affairs, Sahiron Syamsuddin, assessed this as a strong indicator of the success of PTKIN’s internationalisation strategy. “Amid tight global competition, only a few universities in Indonesia, even Asia, manage to break into the top 50 worldwide in specific fields of study,” he stated. Furthermore, he added, it serves as an important momentum to strengthen international collaboration, enhance research quality, and expand global recognition of PTKIN as a centre of excellence in religious studies. “This achievement deserves to be celebrated together, while also serving as motivation to continuously improve the quality and competitiveness of PTKIN on the international stage,” he said.