Makassar, November 05ᵗʰ, 2025 — Alauddin State Islamic University Makassar received an official visit from the Rector of Al Mustafa International University, Prof. Dr. Ali Abbasi, and his delegation in a meeting held at the Rector’s Meeting Room, 3rd Floor of the Rectorate Building. The visit aimed to explore and strengthen academic cooperation between the two universities, particularly in the areas of Islamic studies, humanities, and language and culture.
The event was officially opened by the Rector of Alauddin State Islamic University Makassar, Prof. H. Hamdan M.A, Ph.D., who warmly welcomed the visit and expressed enthusiasm for potential collaborations between the two institutions.
“Thank you very much for your visit. We are always very happy with the visits of the leaders of Iran. Indonesian government and Iranian government have a very close connection — not only in social and political fields, but also in academics. We are very motivated and enthusiastic to strengthen academic relations with Iran. Hopefully, we can also develop joint research between our universities.”
In his speech, Prof. Dr. Ali Abbasi, Rector of Al Mustafa International University, declared his commitment to enhancing and expanding academic cooperation between Indonesia and Iran.
He explained that Al Mustafa International University was primarily established for international students, with 97% of its students coming from 128 countries, while only 3% are local Iranian students.
“Our visit aims to strengthen and expand academic relations between Indonesia and Iran. Although cooperation with Indonesia already exists, we believe it can be further developed.” Prof. Dr. Ali Abbasi noted.
He added that Al Mustafa International University offered 150 study programs, both online and offline, divided into three main fields — Islamic studies, humanities, and languages and cultures, covering 21 languages and cultural studies. Unlike other universities, humanities at Al Mustafa are taught based on Islamic principles. The university has signed more than 400 MoUs with higher education institutions worldwide.
Currently, Al Mustafa offered undergraduate (S1), master’s (S2), and doctoral (S3) programs, Open University Program currently serves undergraduate (S1), master’s (S2) while short courses — lasting from one week to one month, or up to a year for research — aim to foster mutual understanding and collaboration, especially in Islamic studies.
Prof. Dr. Ali Abbasi also expressed readiness to serve as a bridge between Alauddin State Islamic University Makassar and other universities in Iran.
“Al Mustafa International University is ready to serve as a bridge between Alauddin State Islamic University Makassar and other universities in Iran besides Al Mustafa International University. For future collaborations, we can proceed through MoUs or direct academic visits to Iran. he concluded.
This visit marked an important step in Alauddin State Islamic University Makassar ongoing efforts to expand its global partnerships and strengthen its role in promoting academic exchanges in the Muslim world.
