Jakarta — Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia University (Unusia) and the Pattani Islamic Council (Thailand) have strengthened their cooperation in education and Islamic literacy during a meeting held at Unusia’s meeting room on Friday (September 11). The meeting served as a follow-up to the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) previously agreed upon by both parties and provided an opportunity to discuss various joint program initiatives.

Six representatives from the Pattani Islamic Council attended the meeting and were welcomed by Unusia’s leadership and administrative staff, including deans, vice-deans, and other officials. Discussions focused on developing programs that would not only strengthen institutional ties but also create opportunities for collaboration in education and Islamic studies between Unusia and the Patani community.

One of the planned initiatives involves literacy training regarding *Nusantara* (Indonesian archipelago) Islamic manuscripts, specifically those linked to the history and development of Islam in the region. The program encompasses an introduction to basic philology, training in reading and comprehending manuscripts, and the study of manuscript content. These activities could be conducted through reciprocal visits—with Unusia teams visiting Pattani and vice versa—thereby facilitating direct learning and knowledge exchange.

In addition to manuscript literacy, both parties discussed plans to collaborate on establishing a higher education institution in the Pattani region of Thailand. Under this plan, Unusia could assist with the preparatory process, including drafting proposals and addressing other requirements necessary to support the development of a higher education institution in the area.

Educational cooperation also aims to open access for students from Patani to study at Unusia through scholarship programs. Such opportunities could be developed via schemes such as BAZNAS scholarships, the NU Scholarship, and NU Zakat programs. These initiatives are expected to broaden the benefits of the partnership between Unusia and the Pattani Islamic Council while strengthening educational and scholarly ties between Indonesia and Patani. By strengthening such collaboration, Unusia continues to open avenues for cooperation with various international institutions, particularly in the areas of educational development, Islamic literacy, and expanding access to education for the public.