Indonesia and Al-Azhar Strengthen Academic and Cultural Ties

RRI.CO.ID, Mesir - Indonesia and Al-Azhar University are exploring stronger cooperation in education, culture, language, academic exchanges, and people-to-people relations. The cooperation was discussed during a meeting between Indonesian Minister of Culture Fadli Zon and Acting President of Al-Azhar University Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Siddiq Hassan in Cairo on Sunday September 20.

Fadli Zon expressed appreciation for Al-Azhar’s welcome and highlighted the longstanding historical ties between Indonesia and Egypt. “Relations between Indonesia and Egypt, particularly through Al-Azhar, are very close, and since the 19th century, or even earlier, Indonesians have come to study at Al-Azhar,” he said.

Around 23,000 Indonesian students are currently studying at Al-Azhar, while the university has about 40,000 international students from 120 countries. Fadli Zon expressed appreciation for the achievements of Indonesian students and for the support provided by Al-Azhar, the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo, and other stakeholders.

Prof. Mahmoud said Al-Azhar plans to send its academics to Islamic countries through a Visiting Professor program fully funded by the university. Several Indonesian universities, including Universitas Sebelas Maret and UIN Jakarta, have participated in the program, while Al-Azhar is also pursuing cooperation with other Indonesian universities.

The two sides also discussed the Indonesian Language and Literature Study Program at Al-Azhar, which has attracted significant interest, with 247 applicants in the previous admission cycle. “The Indonesian Language and Literature Study Program is a strategic step to strengthen Indonesia-Egypt relations through language and culture,” Fadli said.

Fadli expressed hope that the program would expand understanding of Indonesia in the Middle East, including awareness of the country’s cultural diversity. Indonesia is home to around 1,300 ethnic groups and more than 700 regional languages, providing a broad foundation for cultural and academic exchange.

Al-Azhar’s Faculty of Languages and Translation has also prepared land, designs, and an architectural concept for an Indonesian House, which is envisioned as a center for introducing Indonesian culture and supporting learning and activities for students of the Indonesian Language Study Program. Fadli asked Al-Azhar to submit details of the proposed development, including its budget, implementation stages, and management mechanism.

“The Indonesian House can become a concrete form of cooperation between Indonesia and Al-Azhar, as well as a center for introducing Indonesian culture in Egypt and the wider Middle East,” Fadli said. Al-Azhar also offered cooperation in research and publications, including sharing research findings and educational books with Indonesia, while Fadli concluded the meeting by expressing his appreciation and entrusting the Indonesian students and the development of the Indonesian Language and Literature Study Program to Al-Azhar.