ICAS 2026 proudly brings together distinguished invited speakers from various countries, reflecting the conference’s global reach and intellectual diversity. These scholars are not only internationally recognized in their respective fields, but also share a meaningful and longstanding connection with ‘Aisyiyah. Many of them have conducted in-depth research on the organization—exploring its history, social movements, women’s leadership, educational initiatives, and transformative contributions to Muslim societies.
Their participation is therefore more than ceremonial. It represents an ongoing scholarly engagement with ‘Aisyiyah as a living movement—one that continues to shape discourses on gender, religion, social reform, and civil society. Through their insights, ICAS 2026 offers a unique space where academic reflection and organizational experience intersect, fostering deeper understanding and collaborative dialogue across borders.
By inviting speakers who have closely studied and engaged with ‘Aisyiyah, ICAS 2026 affirms its commitment to rigorous scholarship, global partnership, and the advancement of knowledge rooted in lived realities.
Prof. Dr. Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin is a leading Indonesian scholar-practitioner in gender and human rights whose work bridges academic research, policy advocacy, and diplomacy. As a diplomat and professor, she brings grounded insight into how women’s leadership shapes governance, protection frameworks, and cross-border collaboration. Her expertise is especially relevant to ICAS 2026’s focus on solidarity and sustainability, because she connects ethical commitments with institutional change—showing how values become actionable in law, public policy, and international engagement. Her contribution can illuminate pathways for progressive Muslim women’s movements to strengthen global partnerships while addressing inequality and social polarization.
Prof. Ezra Chitando, Professor of History and Phenomenology of Religion at the University of Zimbabwe and affiliated with the Faith to Action Network, is widely recognized for scholarship on religion as a driver of social transformation. His work frequently engages questions of justice, community resilience, and the public role of faith communities in responding to contemporary crises. At ICAS 2026, his perspective from Africa enriches a Global South conversation about solidarity, ethical leadership, and the social responsibilities of religious movements. He can help participants think comparatively about how women-led faith initiatives mobilize communities, shape moral imagination, and build practical alliances for peacebuilding and ecological responsibility.
Prof. Mark Woodward, Professor of Anthropology at Arizona State University, is among the most influential scholars of Islam in Indonesia and the wider Muslim world. Through anthropological approaches, he has examined how religious movements, public ethics, and political contexts shape Muslim life across diverse settings. His contribution to ICAS 2026 is valuable for situating ‘Aisyiyah within broader debates on modernity, pluralism, and the changing forms of religious authority. By connecting local histories with global processes, he can offer a nuanced reading of progressive Muslim women’s leadership as both a cultural practice and a strategic movement—capable of responding to polarization while building inclusive civic and ecological commitments.
Prof. Pieternella van Doorn-Harder, Professor of Religious Studies at Wake Forest University, has long advanced scholarship on Muslim women’s movements, religious authority, and the social impact of Islamic organizations. Her work highlights how women organize, educate, and lead within faith-based institutions while negotiating tradition, modernity, and public expectations. For ICAS 2026, she brings a sharp lens on how ‘Aisyiyah’s activism generates durable social change—through literacy, community services, and ethical reform. Her contribution can deepen discussions on solidarity by showing how organizational cultures cultivate trust and cooperation, and how women’s leadership can translate theology into programs that support justice and sustainability.
Claire-Marie Hefner, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Manhattanville College, studies contemporary Muslim societies with particular attention to education, identity formation, and changing social aspirations. Her research helps explain how religious values are lived, negotiated, and communicated in modern public life—especially amid shifting class dynamics and expanding digital spaces. At ICAS 2026, she can contribute to conversations on solidarity by analyzing how communities construct belonging and moral responsibility in periods of social change. She is also well positioned to address “da‘wah and digital transformation,” offering insights into how women’s movements adapt outreach, pedagogy, and authority to new media environments.
Prof. Dr. Siti Syamsiyatun, Professor of Islamic and Gender Studies at UIN Sunan Kalijaga, is a prominent Indonesian scholar whose work strengthens the theological and intellectual foundations for gender justice within Islam. She engages questions of interpretation, ethics, and public leadership, helping connect religious knowledge to lived realities and institutional reform. In ICAS 2026, her contribution can anchor the theme of progressive Muslim women’s leadership with rigorous scholarship on solidarity, rights, and civic responsibility. She can also enrich debates on ecological ethics by articulating how Islamic values support stewardship and sustainability, while highlighting how women’s organizations translate moral frameworks into education, advocacy, and community resilience.
Prof. Mitsuo Nakamura, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Chiba University, is widely respected as a pioneering scholar of Muhammadiyah and Islamic modernism in Indonesia. His long-term engagement with Indonesian Muslim society provides a historical and ethnographic foundation for understanding organizational change, religious reform, and social development. At ICAS 2026, he offers a rare longitudinal perspective on how movements like ‘Aisyiyah evolve across generations—responding to new social challenges while sustaining their core ethical commitments. His insights can help participants identify continuities and innovations in women’s leadership, and clarify how organizational learning strengthens solidarity, public trust, and the capacity to address emerging issues, including environmental concerns.
Prof. Kim Hyung-Jun, Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kangwon National University in South Korea, contributes a comparative and transregional perspective on Islam in Asia. His scholarship helps illuminate how Muslim communities and movements interact with modern states, global networks, and evolving cultural landscapes. For ICAS 2026, he can broaden the conversation beyond national boundaries, highlighting how ideas, practices, and organizational models travel and transform across regions. This is particularly relevant to strengthening solidarity, as it encourages participants to imagine alliances that connect Southeast Asia with wider Asian and global contexts. His contribution can also support nuanced discussion of religious identity, public culture, and the dynamics of transnational engagement.
Hisako Nakamura, MA, a Japanese anthropologist and academic, is known for careful ethnographic attention to Indonesian Muslim communities and organizational life. Her work emphasizes lived experience—how values, rituals, education, and everyday relationships produce durable social realities. Within ICAS 2026, she can enrich understanding of ‘Aisyiyah by highlighting the micro-level practices that sustain a movement: mentoring, community care, women’s networks, and local leadership. This ground-level lens is crucial for the conference theme, because solidarity is not only a concept but also a daily practice built through trust, mutual assistance, and inclusive participation. Her contribution can help translate big ideas into actionable community strategies.
Prof. Andari Wuri Astuti, MPH., Ph.D., Professor of Midwifery Studies at Universitas ‘Aisyiyah Yogyakarta, brings a vital health and well-being dimension to the conference. Her expertise in midwifery and public health connects women’s leadership to concrete outcomes in maternal and child health, family resilience, and community care systems. In the context of ICAS 2026, she can demonstrate how sustainable civilization is inseparable from healthy families and equitable access to care—especially for vulnerable groups. Her contribution can bridge scientific evidence with values-based community mobilization, showing how faith-inspired women’s movements build practical programs that address stunting, mental health challenges, and shifting social needs.
