Central Java-Malacca Expand Partnership to Islamic Boarding Schools

RRI.CO.ID, Semarang - The Central Java Provincial Administration is widening the scope of its bilateral partnership with the State of Malacca, Malaysia, to include the Islamic boarding school (pesantren) network, paving the way for student exchanges, teacher sharing programs, and integrated educational networking.

The diplomatic push was formalized during a high-profile working visit in Semarang, where Central Java Deputy Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen hosted Muhammad Hadi Al Muhibbin, the Principal of Al Muhibbin Islamic Boarding School in Malacca.

"We will further ensure how the cooperation between Malacca and Central Java will take shape, specifically between the Islamic boarding schools in Central Java and one of the boarding schools in Malacca," Taj Yasin, affectionately known as Gus Yasin, said in Semarang on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

According to Gus Yasin, this educational bridge serves as a strategic follow-up to the official sister province agreement ratified by Central Java and Malacca in 2025.

Under the sister province framework, the two regional administrations have established a comprehensive, legally binding umbrella to foster mutual development in tourism, economic trade, human resource development, and cultural preservation. Extending this partnership to the grassroots educational level ensures that the benefits of the bilateral treaty directly impact local communities.

"Currently, between Indonesian and Malaysian Islamic scholars, there are already student exchanges and teacher exchanges as well," Gus Yasin added.

To complement these international ventures, the Central Java administration continues to elevate the academic capacity of its regional boarding schools through the state-funded Islamic Student and Teacher Scholarship Program.

In 2026, the scholarship program recorded a historic surge in interest, attracting 941 applicants vying for fully funded Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral programs. Under the overseas track, successful candidates will be deployed to world-class institutions in Egypt, Yemen, China, and the Philippines.

Gus Yasin noted that modern santri (boarding school students) are increasingly expanding their academic interests beyond classical theology, actively pursuing degrees in science, technology, and medical fields.

Muhammad Hadi Al Muhibbin welcomed the collaborative blueprint, emphasizing that the sister province framework is deeply anchored in shared historical and cultural roots that date back to ancient Southeast Asian kingdoms.

"Once government-to-government relations are well-established, executing student exchanges between Indonesia and Malaysia becomes much easier. This kind of gathering serves as a pathway to strengthen the scholarly connections between our two regions," Muhammad Hadi remarked. ***