The Forum of Deans of Da’wah and Communication (Fordakom) held a four-day national meeting in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, from Thursday to Sunday (4–7 June 2026), to discuss the restructuring and strengthening of study programmes in the field of da’wah at State Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTKIN) across Indonesia.
The forum was attended by 28 PTKINs from across Indonesia, with participants including deans, professors, vice-deans, programme coordinators, and executives of the Da’wah Studies Association. The Faculty of Da’wah and Communication (FDK) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta sent 12 lecturers as part of its delegation.
Discussions at the forum focused on the four main study programmes within the field of Da’wah under the auspices of the Faculty of Da’wah at various PTKIN.
The discussions were intensive, covering the strengthening of regulations, the standardisation of programme nomenclature, and the standardisation of academic quality at the national level. The entire agenda stemmed from one fundamental need: to ensure that the curriculum and distinctive features of Da’wah study programmes remain relevant amidst the dynamics of digital transformation and rapidly evolving social change.
The Dean of the Faculty of Da’wah and Communication at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Arif Maftuhin, described this forum as a pivotal point in the journey of developing da’wah scholarship nationally.
“This forum serves as a strategic opportunity to unify the vision for the development of the field of da’wah studies in Indonesia,” said Arif.
In addition to the academic content, this forum was also deemed successful in fostering a sense of camaraderie amongst the heads of da’wah faculties from various regions. Moh. Khoerul Anwar, Ph.D., a lecturer at the Faculty of Da’wah (FDK) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga who was also in attendance, praised the programme’s design, which he felt was able to bring together diverse ideas in a collaborative atmosphere.
“The organising committee devised an engaging and effective programme, ensuring participants felt a sense of shared ownership of the event, particularly for the advancement of the field of da’wah studies,” said Khoerul.
On the sidelines of the forum’s agenda, Fordakom participants also carried out a tree-planting initiative, planting 250 acacia saplings in the Embung H area, Nusantara, the Capital City of Nusantara (IKN), on Friday (5 June 2026), as part of the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education in the field of community service.
Fordakom expressed its commitment to ensuring that the recommendations formulated in Balikpapan are promptly implemented at each higher education institution. Khoerul hoped that the synergy built during this meeting would continue to be maintained.
“May we always stand united in developing da’wah from various perspectives and through various actions,” concluded Khoerul.