Universitas Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara (UMSU) is exploring potential collaboration with the Islamic Research Academy of Al-Azhar, also known as Al-Buhuth Al-Islamiyyah, in Cairo, Egypt. The UMSU delegation was warmly received by the Secretary-General of the Academy, Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Gendy, on Tuesday (July 29) at the Al-Azhar Islamic Research Academy Building, El-Tayaran Street, Nasr City.
UMSU Vice Rector III, Dr. Rudianto, expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome, emphasizing that the visit was part of strengthening academic ties and exploring collaborative opportunities.
“There are many areas where collaboration can be pursued, particularly in research and scholarly studies,” Dr. Rudianto stated.
He also shared with the Secretary-General the progress of UMSU as a higher education institution under Muhammadiyah in Indonesia, highlighting its achievement of “Excellent” national accreditation status.
The Islamic Research Academy of Al-Azhar (Al-Buhuth Al-Islamiyyah) is a renowned scholarly institution under Al-Azhar University, dedicated to addressing contemporary Islamic issues. Its work covers a wide range of fields, including law, social affairs, economics, politics, and culture. The Academy is also active in dakwah and Islamic outreach, sending scholars to convey Islam’s principles and clarify its laws and ethical frameworks.
The Academy is further recognized for advancing Islamic scholarship through research on classical sources, as well as promoting Islamic sciences and culture. It is also responsible for the muadalah process—granting recognition of equivalency between Islamic education diplomas in Indonesia and Al-Azhar University, thereby enabling graduates to pursue further studies at Al-Azhar.
In addition, the Academy publishes scholarly works on Islam, including tafsir, fiqh, and hadith, and maintains cooperation with Islamic educational institutions worldwide, including Indonesia, to strengthen academic quality and Islamic research.
During the visit, UMSU and Muhammadiyah delegates honored Prof. Dr. Mohamed El-Gendy with a traditional Batak ulos cloth, symbolizing friendship and goodwill between the two institutions.
Also present at the event were Prof. Dr. Hasyimsyah Nasution, Chairman of Muhammadiyah North Sumatra, along with PWM Secretary Ustadz Irwan Syahputra, Vice Chairman Prof. Dr. Kamal Basri Siregar, and UMSU representatives, including Vice Rector III Dr. Rudianto, Dean of Islamic Studies Dr. Muhammad Qorib, Dean of Social and Political Sciences Dr. Arifin Saleh Siregar, Dean of Economics and Business Dr. Januri, Dean of Law Dr. Faisal, Dean of Engineering Dr. Munawar Alfansuri, Head of the UMSU Astronomy Observatory (OIF) Dr. Arwin Juli Rahmadi Butar-butar, and staff of UMSU’s International Cooperation Office.
