Updates

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 2026Continue Reading

Yogyakarta, 11 June 2026 — The International Conference on Aisyiyah Studies (ICAS) 2026 officially commenced with welcoming remarks from Dr. Warsiti, S.Kp., M.Kep., Sp.Mat., Rector of Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, who emphasized the importance of strengthening Aisyiyah Studies as a platform for scholarly collaboration, social transformation, and global engagement. Addressing participants from various regions of Indonesia and several countries, Dr. Warsiti expressed her gratitude to all speakers, presenters, researchers, and institutional partners who contributed to the realization of the conference. She described ICAS 2026 as more than an academic event, characterizing it as a collective intellectual endeavor to deepen understanding of Aisyiyah’s historical legacy, contemporary contributions, and future aspirations. According to Dr. Warsiti, Aisyiyah has demonstrated an extraordinaryContinue Reading

Yogyakarta, 11 June 2026 — In her invited presentation at the International Conference on Aisyiyah Studies (ICAS) 2026, Dr. Claire-Marie Hefner highlighted the central role of education in Aisyiyah’s century-long contribution to women’s advancement. Drawing from her research on Islam, education, and social transformation, she argued that Aisyiyah’s educational initiatives represent one of the most significant and enduring investments in the empowerment of Muslim women in Indonesia. According to Dr. Hefner, education has been at the heart of Aisyiyah’s mission since its earliest years. Long before discussions of women’s empowerment became part of global development agendas, Aisyiyah had already recognized that access to education was essential for enabling women to participate fully in religious, social, economic, andContinue Reading

Yogyakarta, 11 June 2026 — In his invited presentation at the International Conference on Aisyiyah Studies (ICAS) 2026, Prof. Kim Hyung-Jun, a distinguished anthropologist and scholar of Islam in Southeast Asia, offered a provocative and inspiring reflection on the future of Aisyiyah in an increasingly interconnected world. His central message was both simple and memorable: Aisyiyah needs to be more “narcissistic” in the positive sense of the term. By this, Prof. Kim did not mean self-centeredness or arrogance. Rather, he argued that Aisyiyah should develop greater confidence in recognizing, celebrating, and communicating its own achievements. For more than a century, Aisyiyah has built schools, universities, hospitals, social welfare institutions, economic empowerment programs, and community development initiatives thatContinue Reading

Yogyakarta, 11 June 2026 — One of the highlights of the invited speakers session at the International Conference on Aisyiyah Studies (ICAS) 2026 was the presentation by Prof. Mark Woodward, Professor of Anthropology at Arizona State University and one of the world’s leading scholars of Islam in Indonesia. Drawing upon historical, cultural, and religious perspectives, Prof. Woodward offered a compelling interpretation of Aisyiyah’s emergence within the longer trajectory of Javanese women’s leadership. In his presentation, Prof. Woodward argued that the history of Aisyiyah should not be understood merely as a modern organizational development or a response to twentieth-century social change. Rather, he suggested that Aisyiyah represents a continuation of a much deeper cultural tradition in which womenContinue Reading

Yogyakarta, 11 June 2026 — Delivering the keynote address at the International Conference on Aisyiyah Studies (ICAS) 2026, Prof. Brian Yuliarto, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, emphasized the strategic role of higher education institutions in shaping Indonesia’s future through innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and socially impactful research. Addressing scholars, researchers, educators, and practitioners gathered at Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, Prof. Brian highlighted that the world is currently experiencing rapid and unprecedented transformation. Technological advances, artificial intelligence, climate change, demographic shifts, and global economic uncertainty are fundamentally changing the ways societies live, work, and interact. These developments, he argued, require universities to move beyond traditional academic functions and become active contributors to solvingContinue Reading