The Regional Leadership Council (DPW) of the Indonesian Islamic Economists Association (IAEI) Aceh together with the IAEI Central Leadership Council (DPP) and the National Committee for Sharia Financial Economics (KNEKS) held an Islamic Economics Curriculum Alignment Workshop on Saturday (26/11) in the Sigli Room, Kyriad Muraya Hotel Aceh. The workshop, which was attended by more than 50 lecturers, campus academicians and financial industry practitioners in Aceh, is expected to be a forum and discussion space to provide input, so that universities and industry can overcome the issues of Islamic economics in society.
Presenters for the Sharia Economics Curriculum Alignment Workshop were Sudarmawan Samidi, Lc, MMgt. from KNEKS, Prof. Dr. M. Shabri Abd. Majid, M.Ec. from Syiah Kuala University as well as the General Secretary of DPW IAEI Aceh and Dr. Deddy Nofendy, M.Ag., from Bank Aceh Syariah.
Sudarmawan said that global trends in the business world and the professional needs of the financial services industry are constantly changing. The profile of future talents in the Islamic economic and financial sector, including having transferable skills that are generally obtained from various work experiences and organisational activities that generally come from education and experience.
"Graduates of Islamic economics must have a unique self, for this reason universities are expected to be able to realise professional, superior, and globally competitive human resources in order to improve the performance of the Islamic economic and financial sector," he said.
Another speaker, Deddy Nofendy, explained that graduates of Islamic economics in Aceh are currently not directly connected to the Islamic financial industry. They still have to learn to understand the purpose or function of the course for the world of work. He gave a solution, universities need to add courses related to issues in Islamic financial institutions.
"Some important issues that must be mastered are compliance, risk management, and product development. Other issues include auditing, information system management, soft skills, and internships. All of these provide practical experience and industry involvement in developing the curriculum," he added.
Meanwhile, Prof. Shabri Abd Majid in his presentation outlined that the curriculum designed must produce alumni who can colour the Islamic industry and be able to change the operations of Islamic banks that are truly in accordance with sharia. He considered it important to align the curriculum, so that universities can produce alumni who understand Islamic economics correctly. He emphasised that ideally, lecturers should understand conventional economics as well as sharia economics to a basic level.
