The Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Association of Islamic Economists (IAEI) and the Financial Services Authority (OJK) held a strategic hearing as a tangible manifestation of strengthening program synergies in advancing the Islamic economy and finance at the national level, on Friday, February 6, 2026, at the Sumitro Djojohadikusumo Building, Jakarta. This meeting served as a forum for harmonizing and aligning the work programs of IAEI and OJK, with a primary focus on strengthening and accelerating the development of a sustainable and competitive Islamic finance ecosystem.
The hearing was attended by the leadership of the IAEI Executive Board, including Executive Chairman Muhammad Syakir Sula, Deputy Executive Chairman Agustianto Mingka, Secretary General Dr. Sutan Emir Hidayat, and from OJK's Department of Literacy, Financial Inclusion and Communication Ismail Riyadi.
During the hearing, a number of strategic agendas were the focus of discussion, including the optimization of the Islamic economics and finance curriculum, the strengthening of research and literacy programs, and branding strategies for the Islamic economy so that it becomes more widely known and accepted by the public and industry players.
IAEI Executive Chairman Syakir Sula stated that synergy between regulators and the scientific community is key to ensuring that the development of the Islamic economy is on the right track and based on solid science. “IAEI is ready to be a strategic partner of OJK, not only in literacy and research, but also in formulating a grand narrative of Indonesia's inclusive and competitive Islamic economy,” he said.
Welcoming this initiative, Head of the Department of Literacy, Financial Inclusion and Communication, Ismail Riyadi, acknowledged the important role of IAEI, particularly in supporting policies and programs for the development of Islamic finance from an academic, research, and human resource quality improvement perspective. “OJK views IAEI as an important partner in strengthening Islamic finance, especially from the academic, research, and human resource capacity building aspects that are in line with national policy directions,” he said.
IAEI Secretary General Sutan Emir Hidayat hopes that the synergy of various strategic programs that have been running previously can be strengthened again, such as the Research Forum, Lecturer Competency Improvement, and Islamic economic and financial literacy programs. He believes that continued collaboration is key to expanding the impact of Islamic economic development in Indonesia. “We hope that previous programs, such as the Research Forum, can be synergized again so that their benefits are more widespread and sustainable,” he said.
This intensive and structured collaboration between IAEI and OJK is expected to accelerate growth and increase the contribution of the Islamic finance sector to the national economy.
