Malanginspirasi.com – Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang successfully hosted the “Halaqah on Institutional Strengthening for the Establishment of the Directorate General of Islamic Boarding Schools (Ditjen Pesantren)” on Monday, November 24, 2025.
The event brought together pesantren leaders, academics, and representatives from the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag) to align visions and strategies for strengthening Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) across Indonesia.
Akhmad Sruji Bahtiar, Head of the East Java Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, stated that the halaqah serves as a critical platform for unifying perspectives, formulating strategies, and enhancing the capacity of pesantren.
“This halaqah is a space to synchronize our views, design strategies, and strengthen the institutional capacity of pesantren,” he said.
Sruji highlighted that the government is now expanding funding schemes for pesantren to improve programs and provide better infrastructure.
“Close collaboration between the government, universities, and pesantren is essential so that pesantren can keep pace with modern developments while preserving their rich scholarly traditions,” he emphasized.
Increasingly Complex Challenges
Rector of UIN Malang, Prof. Ilfi Nur Diana, noted in her presentation that today’s pesantren face far more complex challenges than in the past—both internally and externally.
She explained that the needs of Generation Z students are pushing pesantren to adapt their curricula to remain relevant.
“Internally, the main challenge lies in developing a curriculum suitable for today’s Gen Z students. Santri must be prepared not only to find jobs but also to create employment opportunities. In addition, facilities must be safe and comfortable, sanitation and clean water must be adequate, and students must be healthy both physically and mentally,” she said.
Beyond curriculum, adequate facilities are an absolute requirement to maintain the quality of education.
Ilfi stressed that sanitation, clean water supply, environmental safety, and the physical and mental well-being of students must be top priorities for pesantren.
She also pointed out external challenges that require pesantren to be more responsive to the rapid changes of the modern era.
