Indonesia inaugurates first international Islamic college for women

Indonesia has launched its first international Islamic college specifically for women, STAI Aisyah Binti Abu Bakar, in Bogor. Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar officially inaugurated the institution on Saturday, marking a significant step in higher education for Muslim women.

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We need intellectual strength, spiritual strength, and physical strength. All three must go hand in hand to produce superior generations.

The college aims to integrate Islamic studies with international language proficiency, research, and character development. During the inauguration, Nasaruddin stressed the importance of a balanced education, encompassing intellectual, spiritual, and moral strengths. He stated that true knowledge in Islam comes not only from reason but also from pure hearts, intuition, and spiritual experiences, emphasizing that learning must be paired with moral cultivation and inner purification.

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Knowledge is light. That light will not enter a heart filled with sin and inner impurities. A seeker of knowledge must cleanse their heart, strengthen their morals, and maintain their purity.

Nasaruddin also highlighted Islam's high regard for women, advocating for equal educational opportunities and the empowerment of women to take on leadership roles in various fields. He praised the academic quality at STAI Aisyah, particularly the students' Arabic language skills, and welcomed the presence of international students who contribute to a moderate image of Indonesian Islam globally.

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I am proud there is a college specifically for women. Hopefully, from this campus will emerge female interpreters of the Quran, female scholars, and moderate Islamic thinkers. I also hope STAI Aisyah will produce graduates who master Arabic and English, and possess global insight without always having to study abroad.

Edi Suwanto, Chairman of the STAI Aisyah Foundation, described the inauguration as a new milestone. He noted that the college's establishment was the result of extensive effort and support. Suwanto expressed the foundation's ambition for STAI Aisyah to become a world-class Muslim women's campus, combining Sharia knowledge, international languages, research, leadership, technology, and noble character.

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This inauguration is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of our great ambition to make STAI Aisyah an international-level Muslim women's campus that combines Sharia knowledge, international languages, research, leadership, technology, and noble character.