On Friday (14/08/2015), YSU welcomed a team of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). This was housed in University Coordination Meeting, YSU. Dr. -Ing. Satoto E. Nayono, M.Eng., M.Sc ., as the chief of International Office and Partnership, YSU extended a warm welcome to them. This visit is to discuss the possibility for cooperation between the two universities. Representatives from several faculties, such as Faculty of Languages and Arts, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Social Science, and Faculty of Engineering also attended the agenda.

IIUM came to offer the possibility for cooperation, particularly in the scope of Islamic Economics focusing on administration and management. As a university complying with the Islamic teachings, IIUM focuses on implementing Islamic laws in the areas of joint concern, namely food, language, and economy.

In this occasion, Dr. Sugiharsono, M.Si., as the Dean of Faculty of Economics, welcomed the offer. However, he revealed that for the moment, UNY has not established Islamic Economics department. Islamic Economics is only taught as a subject in some departments. This subject will be soon set up as an independent department in 2016.

As one of the concrete steps, Faculty of Economics YSU has mandated 5 lecturers to study further this subject in Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, Yogyakarta.

Some points possible to be implemented during the cooperation are holding sit-in class, staff mobility, and teaching practice. “The cooperation programs can be run as soon as possible, especially those able to generate income to finance the other programs,‘’ as stated by Dr. Abdul Razak as the Dean of Centre for Strategic Continuing Education and Training of IIUM.

YSU expects that the cooperation with IIUM is not solely limited to economics, but also arts, social science, and technology. For arts and social science, the cooperation can be in the form of joint research, while in the field of technology, the cooperation is supposed to be held in low tech, or technology applicable to everyday life. (Wulan)