Bandung — The Faculty of Sharia, Universitas Islam Bandung (UNISBA), participated in the Academic Invitation: International SDG’s Curriculum Review for Islamic Economics and Finance Study Program, organized by the Islamic Economics Study Program (IEKI) of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI) on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, at the FPEB Meeting Room, 3rd Floor, Building A, UPI.
The international academic forum featured Prof. Dr. Mansor H Ibrahim as the keynote speaker. He serves as the Deputy President Academic (DPA) and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at INCEIF University Malaysia. Prof. Mansor is internationally recognized as an expert in Islamic Economics and Finance and has been listed among The World’s Top 2% Scientists by Elsevier BV and Stanford University. INCEIF University is also recognized as the #1 Business School in the Islamic Economy 2026.
The forum focused on strengthening SDGs-based curricula within Islamic Economics and Finance study programs. In his presentation, Prof. Mansor emphasized that curricula in Islamic Finance and Banking should place greater emphasis on finance and banking competencies rather than being overly dominated by management-related subjects. He also explained that the implementation of SDGs within learning outcomes has already been integrated at INCEIF since last year through the framework of ESD Sustainability Competencies.
Several sustainability competencies highlighted in the discussion included system thinking, anticipatory thinking, normative thinking, strategic thinking, collaboration, critical thinking, self-awareness, and integrated problem solving. These competencies are intended to prepare graduates who are not only academically and professionally competent, but also capable of addressing global sustainability challenges.
The Faculty of Sharia UNISBA, which oversees three study programs closely related to INCEIF’s academic focus — namely the Undergraduate Program in Sharia Economic Law (Muamalah), the Islamic Banking Study Program, and the Master Program in Islamic Economics — actively participated in the academic discussion. The Faculty was represented by the Dean of the Faculty of Sharia, Dr. Hj. N. Eva Fauziah, Dra., M.A., and the Vice Dean for Cooperation Affairs, Dr. Ifa Hanifia Senjiati, S.Sy., M.Si..
During the session, the Vice Dean for Cooperation Affairs sought insights from Prof. Mansor regarding the academic distinction and positioning of the three study programs under the Faculty of Sharia. In response, Prof. Mansor highlighted that the Faculty’s strength lies in its ability to integrate sharia and economic aspects in an embedded manner within the curriculum, ideally with a 70:30 composition between sharia knowledge and economics/finance.
According to him, this approach provides a strong academic distinction for the Faculty’s study programs. Furthermore, if the intended graduate profile is to produce Sharia Advisors, students must possess comprehensive knowledge of both sharia principles and modern economics and banking practices.
Prof. Mansor also noted that the implementation of learning based on turats (classical Islamic texts) and mu’ashiroh (contemporary references), which has become a distinctive characteristic of the Faculty of Sharia UNISBA, represents a significant added value in curriculum development. He emphasized that classical and contemporary Islamic theories should be connected with practical applications in economics and Islamic banking to produce graduates with stronger applied competencies. In addition, students should also be introduced to international standards and regulations in Islamic banking and Islamic economics, including standards issued by AAOIFI.
The participation of the Faculty of Sharia UNISBA in this international forum was not only aimed at curriculum benchmarking, but also at exploring future strategic collaboration opportunities with INCEIF University. Such cooperation is expected to enhance the quality of lecturers and students, strengthen international academic engagement, and support the global recognition of the Faculty of Sharia UNISBA.
The event was attended by academics from various universities, including Universitas Islam Bandung and Muhammadiyah universities, and served as a strategic platform for strengthening international academic networking and collaboration in the development of SDGs-based Islamic economics and finance education.
(Dr. Ifa Hanifia Senjiati, S.Sy., M.Si)
