On November 18-20, 2024, the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB) UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta contributed to the 12th ASEAN Universities International Conference on Islamic Finance (AICIF) held in Cagayan De Oro, Philippines. This prestigious conference is themed "Islamic Finance for Sustainable Peace and Development: Challenges and Opportunities" and presents academics, practitioners, and stakeholders from various countries in Southeast Asia who are active in the development of Islamic economics and finance. This year, AICIF is organized by Mindanao State University as the main host, with support from several institutions as co-hosts, including UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, International Islamic University Malaysia, Sultan Syarif Ali Islamic University Brunei Darussalam, UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Sultan Agung Islamic University Semarang, and Darussalam University (UNIDA) Gontor. This event was also enlivened by the presence of prominent figures as keynote speakers, namely Prof. Emeritus Dato' Dr. Mohd. Azmi Umar (President of INCIEF), Atty. Jehan A. Lepail (Deputy Director, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos), Dr. Mohammad S. Yacob (Minister of MAFAR-BARMM), and Rajagopal Ramasamy (Vice-President, Maybank Philippines).

FEB UIN Jakarta sent a delegation consisting of 9 lecturers as presenters, with one of them also acting as a resource person in the parallel session. The delegation was led by Dr. Erika Amalia, Vice Dean for General Administration of FEB UIN Jakarta, who also presented her research results at the conference. "This participation is a real form of FEB UIN Jakarta's commitment to improving the publication capacity of lecturers and expanding academic networks, especially in the field of Islamic finance," said Dr. Erika.

Prof. Dr. Mohammad Nur Rianto Al Arif, Professor and Head of the Doctoral Study Program in Islamic Banking, FEB UIN Jakarta, was a resource person in a parallel session entitled "Islamic Finance: Stability, Resilience, and Regulatory Issues". In his presentation, Prof. Al Arif highlighted the latest developments in Islamic finance in Indonesia. He emphasized that the merger of government-owned Islamic banks into Bank Syariah Indonesia has become a game changer in encouraging the growth of Islamic banking assets in Indonesia.

In addition, Ali Rama, Ph.D., Head of the Islamic Economics Study Program, FEB UIN Jakarta, presented a research entitled "The Performance of Islamic Crowdfunding: The Signaling Theory Approach". This research is a development of a study funded by the UIN Jakarta Research and Publishing Center in 2024. "Islamic crowdfunding is one of the modern financial innovations that offers alternative financing solutions for MSMEs, especially in Indonesia," explained Ali Rama, Ph.D.

Other FEB UIN Jakarta lecturers who contributed as presenters at this conference included Dr. Nofrianto with research on Sukuk and macroeconomics, Dr. Sofyan Rizal who discussed the performance of the Sharia People's Financing Bank (BPRS), Rahmawati, Ph.D., who studied information disclosure at Baitul Maal wat Tamwil (BMT), Dr. Mohammad Lutfi with research on zakat and altruism, Dr. Muhajirin who discussed zakat and waqf in universities, and Reskino, Ph.D., with a research theme on fraud and the role of religiosity

In addition to the academic session, the conference was also enlivened by cultural performances from the Moro community, including traditional dances that captivated participants. In closing, participants took a city tour to Marawi City and visited the main campus of Mindanao State University in Marawi.
The active participation of FEB UIN Jakarta in AICIF is expected to not only strengthen the academic capacity of lecturers, but also build broader synergy at the international level, especially in supporting the development of sharia economics and finance for sustainability and global peace.(ar)