Jakarta – Unusia held a public lecture and academic orientation for new students of the Master’s (S2) and Doctoral (S3) programs in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) and the History of Islamic Civilization (SPI) on Saturday, October 10, at the Unusia Jakoeb Oetama Hall. The event served as a platform to introduce the academic environment, instill a scholarly vision, and provide initial guidance for the new postgraduate students as they begin their studies.

In his remarks, Unusia Rector Dr. Fariz Alnizar extended a warm welcome and expressed his deep appreciation to the new students for choosing Unusia to pursue their higher education. He urged all students to maintain a strong commitment to disciplined study and to complete their degrees on schedule.

"We are truly grateful and delighted to welcome these master's and doctoral students. Let us work together to leverage Unusia's excellent academic environment to develop professionalism and scholarly expertise through research. We hope all students remain committed and optimistic about graduating on time in accordance with the established curriculum—specifically, three to four semesters for the Master’s level and six semesters for the Doctoral level," said Dr. Fariz Alnizar.

The event continued with a presentation titled "Introduction to Islamic Religious Education and the *Islam Nusantara* Perspective" by the Chair of the Unusia Senate, Dr. Ahmad Suaedy. He outlined the landscape of *Aswaja* (Ahlussunnah wal Jama'ah) civilization and addressed various stereotypes regarding *Islam Nusantara*, encouraging students to conduct in-depth research grounded in history and the heritage of the sultanates. Meanwhile, during the public lecture session moderated by Dr. Siti Nabilah, Dr. Ngatawi Al Zastrouw emphasized the importance of applying a scientific approach to the wealth of past knowledge as a pathway for the nation's civilization, while also highlighting the need to strengthen soft skills to navigate the dynamics of the artificial intelligence era.

The importance of a robust scholarly vision was also underscored by the Dean of the Faculty of Nusantara Islam, Dr. A. Ginanjar Sya'ban, who urged students to independently preserve and study religious heritage so that it yields tangible benefits for society. A similar point was raised by the Dean of the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), Sri Wahyuni, who encouraged postgraduate students to critically evaluate external theories to ensure their work remains rooted in local culture. Regarding methodology and research, Dr. Muhamad Riyad and Idris Mas'udi emphasized the necessity of well-formulated research problems and meticulous verification of manuscript data sources from the very beginning of the semester.

The orientation session continued with an explanation of the *Sianas*-based academic services by Ahmad Mahrus from the Academic and Student Affairs Bureau, followed by an outline of the postgraduate program's financial policies presented by the Vice Rector for Resources and Finance, Fira Mubayyinah. Through this orientation, Unusia reaffirms its commitment to fostering a higher education ecosystem characterized by excellence and responsiveness to the times, capable of producing dedicated academics and scholars who contribute to the advancement of civilization.