International Office of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon Strengthens Global Ties Through Collaborative Research on Mubadalah Ethics with National University of Singapore (NUS)
Cirebon, June 13, 2025 — The International Office of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon (UINSSC) hosted an essential coordination meeting with Noor Isma, Ph.D., a Research Fellow from the National University of Singapore (NUS), to outline plans for a joint international research initiative on Mubadalah ethics in Islamic Family Law. The meeting marked a significant step in strengthening UINSSC’s global academic partnerships, focusing on interdisciplinary collaboration between Indonesian and Singaporean scholars. By centering on Mubadalah, a principle emphasizing mutuality, justice, and humanity, the project aims to develop contextually relevant frameworks for interpreting Islamic law in modern societies. The discussions underscored the importance of integrating traditional Islamic scholarship with empirical methodologies to address contemporary legal and social challenges. UINSSC’s International Office, led by Director Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D., facilitated the session, emphasizing its role as a neutral platform for cross-border scholarly exchange.
The meeting brought together key participants, including Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D.Bumela; Dr. Faqiuddin Abdul Kodir and Ms. Fitriana from UINSSC’s Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat (LP2M); Ms. Maimunah Mujahid, S.S, M.Hum; and international delegates such as Ms. Noor Isma, Ph.D. from NUS. Discussions clarified the scope of collaboration, with Noor Isma, Ph.D. highlighting NUS’s expertise in comparative legal analysis and fieldwork-based research. She proposed joint studies on marital disputes, inheritance rights, and environmental ethics within Islamic legal frameworks, stressing the need to contextualize Mubadalah beyond theoretical debates. UINSSC representatives emphasized the integration of digital tools, such as virtual symposiums and open-access repositories, to ensure seamless collaboration across time zones. The distinction between local and international stakeholders was also reiterated, with UINSSC and LP2M focusing on domestic research capacity while NUS contributed global perspectives.
A central theme of the meeting was the interdisciplinary approach to Mubadalah research. Participants agreed to bridge Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh and ushul fiqh) with gender studies, sociology, and environmental sciences to ensure Islamic law remains textually valid yet socially transformative. Noor Isma, Ph.D. shared insights from her work on gender equity in Southeast Asian Muslim communities, proposing comparative case studies within Indonesia to identify adaptive solutions for legal disputes. Dr. Faqiuddin Abdul Kodir emphasized the urgency of addressing marginalized voices in legal interpretations, particularly in cases involving child custody and property rights. The group also discussed leveraging UINSSC’s cyber-infrastructure to host a digital repository of primary sources, policy briefs, and joint publications, ensuring accessibility for global stakeholders.
Concrete steps for the collaboration were outlined during the session. Plans include co-authored articles in peer-reviewed journals, virtual symposiums on Mubadalah ’s applications in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and capacity-building workshops for researchers. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. reiterated UINSSC’s commitment to providing digital platforms for collaborative workflows, including online workshops and data-sharing tools. Additionally, the partnership will prioritize field studies in Indonesia starting in August 2025, gathering empirical data on how Mubadalah principles are applied—or contested—in real-world legal disputes. Participants also agreed to align their research with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (gender equality) and SDG 13 (climate action), by exploring intersections between Islamic ethics and global human rights frameworks.
The meeting also addressed broader implications for Islamic legal discourse. Noor Isma, Ph.D. noted parallels between Mubadalah and international human rights standards, suggesting that the collaboration could contribute to reconciling Islamic law with contemporary ethical norms. The group discussed potential partnerships with organizations like Musawah Global (a movement for equality in Muslim families) and Qatar’s Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE) to amplify the reach of their findings. Lala Bumela Sudimantara, Ph.D. emphasized the need to balance academic rigor with practical advocacy, ensuring research outcomes inform both scholarly debates and policy reforms. Capacity-building workshops were proposed to train researchers in interdisciplinary methodologies, bridging gaps between traditional Islamic scholarship and modern academic frameworks.
The International Office will also coordinate fellowships for graduate students and early-career researchers interested in Mubadalah-centered studies, fostering long-term academic engagement. By integrating digital tools and fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, UINSSC aims to solidify its reputation as a hub for cutting-edge Islamic legal research. This collaboration with NUS not only strengthens Indonesia’s role in global Islamic scholarship but also sets a precedent for cross-border academic partnerships in the digital age.
Author: Resa Diah Gayatri