Vice Rector of IPB University: Religious Moderation Values Instilled Since The Student at The First Year
IPB University’s Vice Rector for Education and Student Affairs, Prof Deni Noviana, welcomed the event titled “Religious Moderation” organized by the Jakarta Religious Research Institute (BLAJ) at the Andi Hakim Nasution Auditorium (AHN) of IPB University’s Dramaga Campus (15/3).
“We at IPB University are very pleased with this event. Religious moderation is not just theory but something that needs to be understood and practiced in the daily lives of students,” said Prof Deni.
According to him, knowledge and understanding of religious moderation are important for students as future leaders of the nation. Students, as citizens, live in a country with the motto “Unity in Diversity.” Therefore, he said, they must uphold values of tolerance, including in religious matters.
“So my message to students is, let’s embrace these differences. Instead of magnifying differences, let’s minimize them and amplify our similarities. We can coexist peacefully,” he explained.
Prof Deni stated that IPB University students come from various regions in Indonesia. Therefore, values of religious moderation have been instilled in IPB University students since their freshman year through General Competency Education (PKU) and dormitories. A dorm room may accommodate students from different backgrounds.
“One of the reasons for this is to help them understand that Indonesia is vast. (Before COVID-19), there were four students in one room. They came from different schools, religions, and ethnicities. This is a policy adopted by IPB University to instill tolerance for diversity,” he added.
Prof Deni hopes that the “Religious Moderation” event organized by BLAJ at IPB University can continue. He offered to include religious moderation activities in the New Student Orientation Program (MPKMB) for the 61st batch of IPB University students.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia’s Research and Development (Litbang) and Education and Training (Diklat) Body, Prof Arskal Salim, expressed gratitude to IPB University for hosting the Religious Moderation event. He stated that “Religious Moderation Goes to Campus” is a series aimed at building awareness of the importance of adopting a moderate stance among students.
“Thank you, IPB University. We can follow up on the proposal to include religious moderation in the MPKMB curriculum. This also inspires us to identify other campuses and why religious moderation is important. We are very pleased to receive this offer,” he said.
The Religious Moderation event organized by BLAJ featured two speakers, Alissa Qotrunnada Munawaroh Wahid, MPsi (National Religious Moderation Activist), and Auhadillah Azizy, MSi (Secretary of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals Association Special Region of Bogor). The event was attended by hundreds of IPB University students. (MHT/Rz) (IAAS/Hap)
