Seminar on Motivation and Scholarship at MAKN Surakarta (July 27, 2015)

By: Dr. phil. Asfa Widiyanto, M.A.

What we may learn during our study at MAKN:

1.  High motivation

German proverb: Die Hoffnung stirbt zuletzt (Hope dies last)

Smartness+high motivation: huge success

Smartness+low motivation: small success

2. Work ethic

Wa an laysa li al-insan illa ma sa’a wa anna sa’yahu sawfa yura.

Qul i’malu fa-sayara-llah ‘amalakum wa-rasuluh wa-l-mu’minun.

Muhammad Iqbal: Fi al-gharb ra’aytu al-Islam duna al-muslimin.

Working hours for academics:

a. Germany: 08.00-18.00

b. UK: 08.00-17.00

c. Japan and South Korea: 08.00-21.00

3. Proficiency in foreign languages

Die Grenzen meiner Sprache bedeuten die Grenzen meiner Welt (the limits of my language are the limit of my world) (Austrian Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein)

a. Arabic

b. English

The structure of language is parallel with the structure of the mind.

Knowing more languages provides us more opportunities to approach a certain phenomenon from varied angles. The capital: thinking more effectively and more comprehensively.

4. Appreciating and valuing diversity

MAKN is a miniature of Indonesian Islam, a market of Islamic ideas.

Fiqh al-tasamuh (understanding the tolerance), fiqh al-ikhtilaf (understanding the difference)

MAKN student is ideally: (a) independent in choosing and or elaborating his/her own Islamic religiosity and (b) tolerant towards the diversities that he/she may find in the society.

5. Proficiency in classical Islamic sciences

The subjects of Islamic sciences:

a. Fiqh  (Islamic Jurisprudence) according to four major Islamic schools (al-madhahib al-arba’ah)

b. Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence)

c.  Balaghah

d. ‘Ilm al-Kalam

e. al-Tafsir wa ‘Ulumuh

f. al-Hadith wa Ulumuh

Note: the proficiency of MAKN students in Fiqh and Usul al-Fiqh is comparable to Masters students at Shariah Faculty

6. Proficiency in modern scholarship

a. Discussion with teachers

b. Discussion with his/her colleagues

c. Academic forums beyond MAKN

d. Reading literature

7. Creativity and readiness for new challenges

Education: a process of qualifying oneself for things better.

Creativity: courage to be different for things better.

New things are not perceived as threats but rather as challenges.

8. Readiness to pursue further study at the university

Proverb: safir tajid ‘iwadan ‘amman tarakta

Knowing other cultures opens our horizon

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:

1. StuNed (Netherlands) (S2, S3)

2. DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (Germany): available for Bachelor (S1) in Germanistik (German literature/language), S2 and S3 for any fields of studies.

3. AMINEF Fulbright (USA)

4. Chevening (UK)

5. Al-Azhar University, Egypt

6. Brunei Darussalam Government Scholarships for Foreign Students (S1, S2, S3)

7. ICCR (Indian Council of Cultural Relation) (S1, S2, S3)

8. Turkiye Scholarships (Turkey) (S1, S2, S3)

9. LPDP Kementrian Keuangan

10. Program 5000 Doktor Kementrian Agama

(written by Asfa Widiyanto)