UNDIP, Semarang (April 17) – The Department of Political and Governance Sciences, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Universitas Diponegoro (FISIP UNDIP), in collaboration with the Pondok Pesantren Mahasiswa Kebangsaan, held an in-depth discussion titled “Promoting Moderate Islamic Youth Activism in Southeast Asia.” The event took place on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, at 1:00 PM at the Pondok Pesantren Mahasiswa Kebangsaan, Semarang.
The discussion featured keynote speaker Prof. Stephane Lacroix, a renowned scholar of political Islam from Sciences Po, France. Prof. Lacroix is widely recognized for his studies on political Islam and the dynamics of Islamic movements in the Muslim world, particularly in the Middle East.
In his presentation, Prof. Lacroix elaborated on several key topics, including the need to contextualize the concept of moderation, the development of religious and scientific knowledge, Islamic movements, and other issues related to Islam and politics.
The event was opened with an introductory speech by Hendra Tri Ardianto, M.A., representing Dr. KH. Muhammad Adnan, M.A., the administrator of Pondok Pesantren Mahasiswa Kebangsaan. He emphasized the importance of fostering moderate and inclusive Islamic youth activism amidst the challenges of globalization and radicalization. The discussion was moderated by Faiz Kasyfilham, M.A., a lecturer in Governance Science at FISIP UNDIP.
The event aimed to strengthen the role of Muslim youth in Southeast Asia in promoting moderate, democratic, and socially-oriented Islamic values. Additionally, it served as a platform for exchanging ideas among academics, Islamic boarding school practitioners, and students regarding strategic approaches to building a progressive Islamic youth movement that remains rooted in Islamic, local, and Indonesian values.
At the conclusion of the event, Prof. Lacroix expressed his interest in the dynamics of religious practice in Indonesia. He conveyed his belief that Indonesia, with its various faith-based institutions grounded in nationalism—such as pesantren—has the potential to serve as a foundation for religious practices aligned with universal humanitarian values.