Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) has been ranked 47th in the world (1st in Indonesia) in Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject. Religious studies are the core subjects taught at the Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS) and Inter-Religious Studies (IRS) of the UGM Graduate School.
“We are certainly grateful that our study programs have gained recognition from the QS WUR,” said the Dean of the UGM Graduate School, Prof. Siti Malkhamah, Wednesday (13/4).
CRCS is a master’s program that provides cross-cultural studies of religions using interdisciplinary approaches such as anthropology, sociology, philosophy, history, theology, political science, gender, cultural studies, etc. IRS is a doctoral program offered by the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies/ICRS (consisting of UGM, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, and Duta Wacana Christian University) that focuses on the study of religions in Indonesia and encourages interreligious dialogues and peace in the country and the world.
“Students and lecturers in these two programs are of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds and come from within and outside Indonesia,” she said.
In this QS WUR release, UGM scored 72.4 in total from five components, including h-index (48.40), research citations per paper (64.3), academic reputation (77.1), employer reputation (70.8), and international research networks. Malkhamah said that many books, articles, and papers by ICRS lecturers and students had been published in reputable international journals.
For instance, a three-year joint study by UGM lecturers and researchers from Boston University was published in a book entitled Indonesian Pluralities: Islam, Citizenship, and Democracy in 2021, involving Dr. Zainal Abidin Bagir of the UGM CRCS and Prof. Robert W. Hefner of Boston University as editors.
UGM Graduate School strives to improve the quality and reputation of its graduates by enhancing the curriculum, learning process, academic environment, and tracer study. The Graduate School boosts its international reputation by using English in the classroom and inviting lecturers and researchers from universities at home and abroad. Various research and community service activities are also integrated into the course and involve partners from around the globe.
“We hope to increase our international publications, international academic network, and international recognition,” she said.
Author: Gusti Grehenson
Photo: Firsto