Cairo, Egypt — The Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) at the Nahdlatul Ulama University of Indonesia (Unusia), Dr. Muhammad Aras Prabowo, S.E., M.Ak., met with the Rector of Al-Azhar University, Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Seddik, on Thursday (October 29, 2026), at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt. The meeting served as an initial step toward exploring international cooperation in the fields of education, research, community service, and the strengthening of institutional governance.

The meeting, which took place from 10:00 to 12:00 Cairo time, was attended by Aras alongside the Director of the Istiqlal Mosque’s *Pendidikan Kader Ulama* (Islamic Scholar Cadre Education) program (PKUMI), Prof. Dr. KH. Ahmad Thib Raya, M.A. During the audience, both parties discussed opportunities to bolster academic collaboration between Indonesia and Egypt, including potential cooperation between FEB Unusia and the Faculty of Commerce at Al-Azhar University.

Aras views Al-Azhar University as a strategic partner in the development of higher education with a global perspective. According to him, international cooperation should be realized through programs that provide tangible benefits for the advancement of knowledge and the enhancement of human resource capacity.

“FEB Unusia considers Al-Azhar a strategic partner in developing higher education with a global outlook. We aim to build a collaboration that goes beyond mere institutional ties—one that is manifested through joint research, knowledge exchange, and international community service,” stated Aras.

He added that the internationalization of higher education must go hand in hand with the strengthening of Indonesian identity and values. Such cross-border collaboration is expected to support the improvement of academic quality while expanding the networks and international competitiveness of FEB Unusia. “Higher education institutions must be able to build global networks without losing their Indonesian identity and values. This collaboration is part of FEB Unusia’s commitment to enhancing its international reputation and competitiveness,” he added.

The Rector of Al-Azhar University, Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Seddik, welcomed the initiative to explore cooperation, particularly with the Faculty of Commerce. The shared academic fields of economics, accounting, and management are seen as opening doors for broader academic collaboration.

“We welcome FEB Unusia’s initiative to establish a partnership with the Faculty of Commerce at Al-Azhar University. The common ground in the fields of economics, accounting, and management creates opportunities for academic collaboration, joint research, knowledge exchange, and even the exploration of a double-degree program,” stated Mahmoud Seddik.

In addition to meeting with the Rector, Aras also held an audience with Prof. Dr. Nahla Sabri Al-Saidi, Head of the Center for the Development of Education for Foreign and International Students at Al-Azhar. Prof. Nahla also serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic Language for Foreign Students, as well as an advisor to the Grand Imam (Grand Sheikh) of Al-Azhar on matters concerning foreign students. The meeting was also attended by Prof. Dr. Syahidah Mas'ad Mar'i, Vice Dean for Postgraduate Studies and Research at the Faculty of Islamic Studies and Arabic Language for Foreign Students, and Prof. Dr. KH. Ahmad Thib Raya, M.A., in his capacity as Director of LAMGAMA.

The discussion during the audience expanded to cover the development of the Arabic language, the enhancement of academic capacity, research, and the international mobility of students. For FEB Unusia, proficiency in Arabic is highly relevant to the development of the sharia economy, Islamic finance, entrepreneurship, and the growth of the international halal industry. This capability can also expand students' access to the literature and intellectual traditions of Islam that have flourished in Arabic-speaking countries.

Such exploration opens up the potential for developing academic Arabic language training programs, international seminars, knowledge exchange, and research collaborations that integrate modern economic scholarship with Islamic intellectual traditions. Al-Azhar’s experience in supporting international students and teaching Arabic to non-native speakers is also a highly relevant area to explore for the purpose of enhancing the academic capacity of Indonesian students.

This series of meetings serves as an initial step for the Faculty of Economics and Business at Unusia (FEB Unusia) to broaden its academic partnership with Al-Azhar University—encompassing both the fields of economics and business, and the development of language proficiency and Islamic scholarship. It is hoped that these opportunities will be followed up through institutional communication and discussions on concrete, measurable programs that provide tangible benefits to students, faculty, and the advancement of higher education in Indonesia.

This initiative aligns with Unusia’s commitment to strengthening the internationalization of higher education through cross-border academic collaboration, while simultaneously enhancing the quality of human resources—all while remaining firmly rooted in Islamic values, Indonesian identity, and a spirit of service to society public.