SN-GES 2025 Inauguration at UIN SSC: Lala Bumela, Ph.D., Highlights International Office Achievements, Reflects on Strategic Milestones, and Outlines the University’s Vision for Global Academic Engagement
Cirebon, September, 11th 2025 — In the formal setting of UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon’s Grand Auditorium, Lala Bumela, Ph.D., Director of the International Office and Partnership, delivered the opening remarks at the inauguration of the 2025 Syekh Nurjati Global E-Scholarship (SN-GES) cohort—a landmark event attended by senior university leadership including Ayus Ahmad Yusuf, S.E., M.Si. (Vice Rector for Academic Affairs), Prof. Hajam, M.Ag. (Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation), and deans from all seven faculties: Saifuddin, M.Ag. (Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training); Didi Sukardi, S.H., M.Ag. (Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business); Anwar Sanusi, M.Ag. (Faculty of Ushuluddin and Adab); Naila Farah, M.Ag. (Faculty of Dakwah and Islamic Communication); along with department heads such as Mohamad Rana, M.H.I. (Head of State Law); Achmad Otong Busthomi, Lc., M.Ag. (Head of Sharia Economics); Yuyun Maryuningsih, M.Pd. (Secretary of Biology Teacher Training); Hendi Hidayat, M.Pd. (Secretary of English Teacher Training); and Kajur Tadris Biologi Evi Roviati, S.Si., M.Pd., among others. The presence of these leaders underscored the institutional gravity of the occasion, signaling not merely administrative support but a unified commitment to global academic engagement. Before them sat eight newly arrived international scholars: Arif Yeekajik (Thailand, State Law), Babou Seck (Senegal, Sharia Economics), Hamdi Mujeb Thabet Sharaf (Yemen, Sharia Economics), Jadene Querod Zainal, Nadja Querod Cabuayo, and Paojia Cabuayo Sucatan (all Philippines, English Teacher Training), Maja Asleah Lindongoan Salisipan (Philippines, Biology Teacher Training), and Tasneem Wado (Thailand, Qur’anic Studies and Exegesis). These students were selected from a competitive pool of thirty applicants across five countries, with twelve awarded scholarships overall—four of whom, due to ongoing instability in Nigeria, were unable to travel and remained in virtual solidarity. “These eight,” Lala Bumela began, his voice measured yet resonant, “are not simply scholarship recipients—they are the living embodiment of our institution’s promise to make Islamic higher education accessible beyond geography, language, and circumstance.”
The SN-GES program, he explained, represents the most comprehensive and administratively demanding initiative undertaken by the International Office in its history. It is not merely a scholarship scheme, but a meticulously structured ecosystem designed to integrate international students into the academic, cultural, and spiritual fabric of UIN SSC through a fully digital-first approach. From application to orientation, every phase—from document verification and visa coordination to language preparation and academic placement—is managed through an end-to-end digital platform developed in-house, ensuring efficiency, transparency, and accessibility for candidates from regions with limited infrastructure. This year’s cohort reflects the broadening appeal of UIN SSC’s academic offerings, with students enrolling in diverse disciplines: State Law, Sharia Economics, English Teacher Training, Biology Teacher Training, and Qur’anic Studies and Exegesis—all chosen based on institutional strengths and global demand. The selection process, rigorously conducted over several months, prioritized academic merit, personal motivation, and potential for cross-cultural contribution. Of the twelve awardees, only eight were physically present; the four Nigerian scholars, though absent, were formally acknowledged and welcomed through pre-recorded messages and digital participation throughout the orientation period. “We do not measure success by how many we bring here,” Lala Bumela emphasized, “but by how faithfully we honor those who dare to trust us with their future—even when the world makes it difficult for them to arrive.”
Throughout the ceremony, Lala Bumela highlighted the collective responsibility of the university community in supporting these scholars. He recognized the critical role played by faculty members, department secretaries, and administrative staff who had prepared tailored orientations, adapted teaching materials, and coordinated intensive Bahasa Indonesia for Foreign Speakers (BIPA) programs to ensure smooth academic and social integration. He specifically acknowledged the dedication of the International Office team—Secretary Ivo Yanuar Dinasta, S.S., M.Appling., and Staff Gina Amalia Sholihah, S.Sos.—alongside the Global Engagement Team, whose tireless efforts behind the scenes made the seamless execution of this complex initiative possible. The inclusion of department heads and program coordinators at the event was not symbolic; it was operational. Their attendance signaled that these students would not be isolated under the umbrella of the International Office alone, but embedded within their respective academic units—from the classrooms of Tadris Biologi to the seminars of Sharia Economics—where mentorship, guidance, and belonging would be sustained daily. “This is not a program managed by one office,” he clarified. “It is a university-wide commitment. Every dean, every lecturer, every secretary—you are all part of their academic home.”
Lala Bumela then outlined the strategic trajectory of the International Office for the remainder of 2025 and beyond, anchoring SN-GES within a broader framework of institutional globalization. He confirmed the upcoming Virtual Student Exchange program with partner institutions in Africa and Europe, scheduled for October 2025, which will enable mutual academic mobility without physical travel, further expanding access for students from low-resource contexts. He also announced the AsiaCALL International Conference in November 2025, set to host 140 academics from 14 countries, where UIN SSC faculty will present peer-reviewed research papers slated for publication in a Scopus-indexed proceedings volume—an important milestone in elevating the university’s scholarly visibility. Beyond events, he reaffirmed the Office’s long-term vision to extend the reach of its digital model into postgraduate programs and distance learning (PJJ), ensuring that international collaboration does not remain confined to undergraduate scholarships but becomes a sustainable pillar of the university’s academic identity. “Our goal is not to host more international students,” he stated firmly, “but to become a globally recognized hub where knowledge flows bidirectionally, where our students learn from the world, and the world learns from us—on equal terms, through digital equity.”
The inauguration concluded not with fanfare, but with quiet resolve. The scholars, now officially enrolled, would proceed to three days of intensive orientation covering academic expectations, cultural adaptation, campus regulations, and religious life at a Muslim-majority cyber-university. Yet the deeper significance of the day lay in what had been affirmed: UIN Siber Syekh Nurjati Cirebon, under the leadership of Lala Bumela, Ph.D., had successfully translated its mission as a digital Islamic university into tangible, human outcomes. The presence of senior leadership, the alignment of departments, the precision of administrative systems, and the deliberate inclusion of students from conflict-affected regions demonstrated more than policy implementation—it revealed institutional character. This was not an event staged for external recognition. It was an act of fidelity—to the Qur’anic imperative of seeking knowledge, to the prophetic tradition of welcoming the newcomer, and to the modern responsibility of ensuring that no qualified student is excluded because of where they were born.
The moral of this moment is simple yet profound: true internationalization is not measured by the number of flags flown or countries represented, but by the depth of care extended to each individual who crosses the threshold—virtual or physical—into your academic family. Lala Bumela, Ph.D., has ensured that SN-GES is not just another scholarship program, but a covenant: between a university and its global learners, between technology and humanity, between tradition and innovation. In a time when borders grow tighter and voices grow louder, UIN SSC, under his stewardship, has chosen to build quieter bridges—with intention, with integrity, and with unwavering belief that the pursuit of knowledge must never be denied by circumstance. This is not merely the opening of a new academic year. It is the reaffirmation of what Islam has always taught—that knowledge belongs to all who seek it, and that a truly great university is one that opens its doors, even if only through a screen, to those who have nowhere else to go.
Author: Muhammad Azkiya Bahtsulkhoir