In Collaboration with 2 Malaysian Universities, IPB University holds Islamic Economics Winter Course, Attended by 8 Countries

The Department of Sharia Economics (IES) together with the Center for Sharia Business and Economics Studies (CIBEST) at IPB University is once again holding its annual international event, the Islamic Economics Winter Course (IESWC) 2025.

The program, which runs from September 8-16, 2025, is attended by 58 participants from eight countries, including Malaysia, Turkey, Dominica, and Ghana. This year, IESWC is partnering with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

IESWC is a regular activity designed by the IES Department of IPB University to strengthen academic capacity and international networking. This agenda not only features lectures, but also field observations at the Gunung Walat Education Forest (HPGW) and group analysis presentations.

In his opening remarks, IESWC 2025 Chairman M Anhar expressed his appreciation to all participants. Meanwhile, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management at IPB University, Prof Irfan Syauqi Beik, emphasized the importance of implementing Islamic social finance through blended financing.

“The implementation of Islamic social finance through blended financing has been widely carried out for the welfare of the people in Indonesia. For example, the micro-hydro power plant development program in Sarolangun, Jambi, has greatly helped local residents gain access to electricity,” he said.

The Vice Rector for Education and Student Affairs at IPB University, Prof Deni Noviana, also gave a speech. He encouraged participants to take advantage of this opportunity to broaden their horizons and deepen their knowledge in the fields of economics and Islamic finance.

One of the distinguishing features of IESWC 2025 is the field analysis at the Gunung Walat Educational Forest (HPGW). Participants were tasked with identifying problems in the area and providing solutions based on Islamic financial instruments. It is hoped that this series of activities will give rise to new ideas to support the development of HPGW while enriching the perspective on the application of Islamic economics in the field.

This program also resulted in the strengthening of academic cooperation between the IES and CIBEST departments at IPB with UKM and IIUM, as well as improving the quality of education in the field of Islamic economics at IPB University. (*/Rz) (IAAS/HRD)