Yogyakarta, 11 June 2026 — The International Conference on Aisyiyah Studies (ICAS) 2026 officially welcomed participants from across Indonesia and several countries, reflecting the growing recognition of Aisyiyah Studies as an emerging interdisciplinary field. In her report as Conference Chair, Prof. Alimatul Qibtiyah expressed her gratitude to all institutions, scholars, presenters, and organizing committees whose collective efforts made the conference possible.
Prof. Alimatul explained that ICAS 2026 was organized under the theme “Strengthening Solidarity, Nurturing the Earth: Progressive Muslim Women’s Leadership for a Sustainable Civilization.” The conference was designed as an international forum to strengthen academic discussions on Aisyiyah’s historical legacy, intellectual contributions, and future role in responding to contemporary global challenges.
She reported that ICAS 2026 attracted 125 full paper submissions, demonstrating the growing enthusiasm among scholars to contribute to the development of Aisyiyah Studies. After a rigorous review and selection process, 118 papers were accepted for presentation during the conference, representing researchers from universities, research institutions, and Aisyiyah organizations across Indonesia as well as several international institutions.
According to Prof. Alimatul, the accepted papers reflected the increasingly diverse landscape of Aisyiyah Studies. Participants explored a broad range of topics, including women’s leadership, Islamic thought, history of Aisyiyah, education, public health, social welfare, environmental sustainability, digital transformation, religious authority, community development, and gender justice. This diversity, she noted, illustrates that Aisyiyah Studies is evolving into a vibrant interdisciplinary field that connects Islamic studies with the social sciences, humanities, health sciences, education, and digital studies.
She further highlighted the broad geographical representation of the conference. In addition to participants from many provinces across Indonesia, ICAS 2026 also welcomed scholars from several countries, reinforcing the conference’s international character and opening new opportunities for cross-border academic collaboration.
Prof. Alimatul also emphasized the distinguished participation of nine invited speakers from Indonesia and abroad. The conference featured three speakers attending in person, three joining live via Zoom, and three contributing through recorded presentations. This hybrid format enabled ICAS to bring together internationally recognized scholars despite geographical distance, enriching the discussions with diverse global perspectives.
Beyond the conference presentations, she noted that ICAS 2026 was designed to become a catalyst for long-term scholarly collaboration. Authors of selected papers will be invited to develop their conference papers into journal articles through the Journal of Aisyiyah Studies. To support this process, the editorial team will facilitate peer review by experts in relevant disciplines and provide editorial mentoring to help authors refine their manuscripts for publication.
Prof. Alimatul expressed her appreciation to Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, the Central Board of Aisyiyah, partner universities, invited speakers, reviewers, session chairs, volunteers, and the organizing committee for their dedication in ensuring the success of the conference. She also thanked all presenters and participants whose active engagement transformed ICAS 2026 into a meaningful platform for scholarly exchange.
Concluding her report, she expressed hope that ICAS would continue to grow as a sustainable international forum that not only documents the historical contributions of Aisyiyah but also generates new ideas, collaborative research, and innovative responses to the challenges facing Muslim women and society in the twenty-first century. She emphasized that ICAS should serve as a bridge connecting scholarship with social transformation, ensuring that the values and experiences of Aisyiyah continue to inspire academic inquiry and contribute to a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world.
