Santri Mengglobal, South Wales – The Research Team from UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang and PTIQ Jakarta University collaborated to conduct research in both Indonesia and the UK in an effort to better understand religious literacy and the narratives of religiosity among Generation Z Muslims in both countries.
The study, entitled “Religious Literacy and the Narratives of Religiosity of Gen-Z Muslims in Indonesia and the United Kingdom,” was selected through a stringent process and funded under the international research collaboration program for the fiscal year 2023 by the Litapdimas program of the Directorate of Islamic Higher Education (Diktis), Directorate General of Islamic Education, Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
The Collaborative Research Team consists of Jamilah (UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang), Md Mahmud Bin Sayeed (University of Warwick), Devi Pramitha (UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang), Asep Ubaidillah (PTIQ Jakarta University), assisted by Faridatun Nikmah (UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang) and Dito Alif Pratama (PTIQ Jakarta University) who is also the founder of Santri Mengglobal as research assistants.
Jamilah, as the Head of the Research Team, stated that this collaborative initiative not only strengthens the positions of UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang and PTIQ Jakarta University internationally but also makes a tangible contribution to shaping a more inclusive and understanding religious narrative in this era of globalization.
The research team initiated the research agenda in the UK by organizing an online Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with a group of Generation Z students studying at the University of Swansea. “The FGD served as an interactive platform where students shared their views, thoughts, and experiences related to religion,” explained Jamilah.
Subsequently, on December 22-23, 2023, representatives from the Research Team, Devi Pramita and Dito Alif Pratama, traveled to Swansea University to engage in a direct dialogue with the young Muslim community in Swansea Mosque – Welsh Muslim Centre.
Devi Pramitha, a member of the Research Team and a lecturer at UIN Malang, stated that this dialogue provided a space for a deeper understanding of the dynamics of religious life within the young Muslim community in the UK, including the challenges of Islamophobia. Meanwhile, Dito Alif Pratama mentioned that the research would continue in other cities such as Birmingham, Oxford, and London.
Jamilah, the Head of the Research Team, who recently obtained a Ph.D. from Radboud University in the Netherlands, hopes that the research findings will contribute academically to understanding the religious dynamics among Generation Z in Indonesia and the UK. “Through international collaboration, we hope to build a strong academic network and generate findings that can have a positive impact on society,” said Jamilah.
