By Dadi Darmadi

Depok, August 19, 2026 —Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII) is holding its 2026 Commencement Ceremony today at the Lecture Hall, Rectorate Building, marking a significant milestone in the university’s development with the graduation of its first cohort of doctoral students.

A total of 204 graduates are being conferred Master’s and Doctoral degrees across UIII’s four faculties: the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Economics and Business, and Faculty of Education.

The graduating class comprises 105 Indonesian graduates and 99 international graduates representing 22 countries, reflecting UIII’s distinctive character as an international university dedicated to advanced scholarship and research in an Islamic and global context.

The ceremony is presided over by Prof. Jamhari Makruf, PhD, Rector of UIII, and attended by members of the UIII Board of Trustees, Senate and university leadership, faculty members, staff, families, and distinguished guests.

First Doctoral Graduates Mark Historic Milestone

Among the 204 graduates are 34 doctoral graduates, representing the first graduating cohort of UIII’s doctoral programme.

In his commencement address, Rector Prof. Jamhari Makruf described the occasion as an important milestone in the development of UIII as a young international university.

“You are not simply the first doctoral graduates of UIII. You are helping write the first chapter of UIII’s intellectual history,” Prof. Jamhari said.

He emphasized that the significance of the doctoral graduates extends beyond receiving academic degrees.

“We are no longer only preparing students to receive degrees. We are developing scholars, researchers, professionals, and leaders who are expected to contribute new knowledge and new ideas to the world.”

The first doctoral cohort represents an important step in realizing UIII’s founding vision to become an international centre of excellence in Islamic higher education, scholarship, and research.

An

International Intellectual Community

The 2026 graduating class demonstrates the international character that lies at the heart of UIII’s educational mission.

With graduates from 22 countries, the university brings together students from diverse cultural, national, and intellectual backgrounds. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phil. Syafiq Hasyim, Vice Rector for Academic and Student Affairs, this diversity is not simply a demographic feature of UIII, but an essential part of its educational experience.

“At UIII, internationalization is not simply about bringing people from different countries into the same classroom. It is about learning to see the world through perspectives other than our own,” he said.

Through this international academic environment, UIII seeks to foster intellectual openness, dialogue across differences, academic excellence, and an understanding of Islam that engages constructively with contemporary global challenges.

The Vice Rector also highlighted UIII’s position as an Indonesian contribution to the wider global conversation on Islam, knowledge, society, and humanity.

“This university was established with the confidence that Indonesia’s experience of Islam, pluralism, democracy, education, and intellectual engagement has something meaningful to contribute to the wider world,” Syafiq Hasyim said.

 

From Students to Members of the UIII Family

Beyond the academic achievement represented by graduation, the ceremony also marks the beginning of a lasting relationship between graduates and the university.

Prof. Jamhari reminded the graduates that “UIII is a family”, emphasizing that graduation does not mean leaving the university community behind.

“You may leave the campus today, but becoming a graduate does not mean you can escape UIII,” he said with a lighthearted note, encouraging graduates to remain connected with the university and with one another.

The Rector encouraged alumni to contribute to UIII’s continued development through research, collaboration, professional networks, mentorship, and other forms of engagement. He also invited graduates and the wider UIII community to support the development of the UIII endowment, which is intended to strengthen the university and expand opportunities for future generations of students.

“A family is not only a place from which we receive. It is also a place to which we give,” Prof. Jamhari said.

Knowledge with Responsibility

Addressing the graduating class, the Rector stressed that academic achievement must be accompanied by ethical responsibility.

“A degree is not the destination of education. It is a responsibility,” he said.

He encouraged graduates to enter their professional and intellectual lives with both confidence and humility, particularly in a world facing political polarization, technological disruption, economic inequality, environmental challenges, conflict, and increasing social and cultural divisions.

Prof. Jamhari urged graduates to think critically while maintaining humility, to disagree without losing respect, and to defend their principles without dehumanizing others.

He also encouraged them to remain committed to lifelong learning and to use their knowledge in the service of their communities, their countries, Indonesia, and humanity more broadly.

Carrying UIII Beyond the Campus

The 2026 graduates will now join the growing international community of UIII alumni, taking their academic experiences and connections from Depok to communities and institutions across Indonesia and around the world.

“Wherever you go—from Indonesia to Pakistan, Nigeria, The Gambia, Afghanistan, Tanzania, and the many other countries represented in this graduating class—you will carry a part of UIII with you,” Prof. Jamhari said.

He encouraged graduates to become ambassadors not only of UIII, but also of the values cultivated through their education: intellectual openness, academic integrity, mutual respect, and an Islam that contributes constructively to humanity.

As UIII celebrates its 2026 graduating class, the university also looks ahead to the next chapter of its development—strengthening its academic programmes, expanding international partnerships, producing new scholarships, and building an enduring community of scholars and alumni.

The 2026 Commencement therefore represents both an ending and a beginning: the completion of an important academic journey for 204 graduates and the emergence of a new generation of scholars, professionals, leaders, and members of the growing UIII family.

Congratulations to the UIII Class of 2026!

source: https://uiii.ac.id/uiii-holds-2026-commencement-celebrates-first-cohort-of-doctoral-graduates/