KIRKHS serving the vertical of both Islamisation and integration – IIUM President

By Nurin Najmina Zaidi

GOMBAK, 23 June 2021:  “Apart from being the largest kulliyyah, the Kulliyyah (KIRKHS) had been assigned consciously or sub-consciously to serve the vertical of both Islamisation and integration. This is a special privilege,” the President of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Datuk Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar, said in his commemoration speech on Monday (21 June).

A ceremony was held virtually to commemorate the Thirtieth Anniversary Celebration of Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (TACK 2020) and Takreem 2021.

The President officially launched the 30 years anniversary celebration of KIRKHS as well as the 30 books authored by academicians from the Kulliyyah.

“I would like to believe that this is an insightful as well as a thrilling and intimidating journey for the Kulliyyah. For all intents and purposes, the Kulliyyah with the full support of the administration of IIUM, has been venturing and embarking on this challenging but most rewarding journey,” Datuk Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar told the audience.

KIRKHS had emerged in 1990 as a full-fledged kulliyyah with a clear mission to integrate Islamic studies (Al Ulum Al-Islamiyah) and humanities studies (Al Ulum Al-Insaniah).

In his speech, Datuk Dr. Mohd Daud Bakar explained that the quality of both the academic staff and students is something it is proud of as the high performance on many dimensions speaks for itself. He believed that this high performance is sustainable all the way at all times for the next 30 years.

The President encouraged the Kulliyyah’s intellectuals to think, deliberate, contemplate, and act together for the future by sharing the themes and issues with the audience as something to ponder such as:

“What is missing in our grand design of integration and Islamisation? How can we make it better or perhaps more relevant?”

“How to create more options and unleash all the abilities and creativities of our faculty members and young and vibrant students, and the list goes on?” he asked. 

The President also examined the vertical integration from a high ground perspective as the university had been working for the last 30 years to bring the agenda of integration to the centre stage of both academic pursuit and life manifestation in all walks of life.

“What is the new narrative of integration to be in sync with the new landscape and modern variable if the religion of Islam and the divine construction need to be rejuvenated every 100 years? What do we need to do then to regenerate our own construction?” he questioned.

He emphasised that by enlarging the world community in general and IIUM, in particular, we are looking forward to being enlightened on the new version of integration. 

He further explained that integration along with other vertical of the IIUM mission and vision such as Islamisation, internalisation and comprehensive excellence need a modern and fresh outlook narrative and methodology as the modern narrative tends to prefer something which is more tangible, measurable and impactful.

“I really hope that we are always inspired intellectually and emotionally to push the boundaries to embrace the very essence of innovation being relevant and of intensity,” the President said. ***

(Readers who are interested to watch the recording of the Takreem 2021/TACK 2020 ceremony may do so by clicking here.)

Leave a Reply