Profile
Islamic College for Advanced Studies (ICAS) Jakarta
(A Branch of ICAS London United Kingdom in Cooperation with Paramadina University Jakarta Indonesia)
Introduction
Welcome to Islamic College for Advanced Studies (ICAS) Jakarta in corporation with Paramadina University. This institution is founded to devote in researching and developing science and knowledge in the world of Islam since early period until the modern time. This aim is religious, spiritual, ethical, and it is intellectually theoretical and practical. Academic advantage together with moral purification will transform theoretical knowledge to be a deep understanding and expertise.
ICAS believes that the contemporary world is meeting some more complicated challenges, which demands deep concern, evaluated insights, reflective wisdom, and profound religious thought from the Islamic world.
“Dialogue” is the key word of the college. In addition to constructing a balanced dialogue between Islamic civilization and other civilizations in the world, the college seeks to establish dialogue between philosophy and religion, philosophy and science, religion and science, philosophy and mysticism, and mysticism and religious jurisprudence.
The college holds that philosophical and rational approaches in religious, especially Islamic studies would be beneficial in order to meet the above-mentioned purposes.
Islamic College for Advanced Studies (ICAS) is a unique, pioneering, and dynamic institution. It provides comprehensive higher education in Islamic Studies to meet the challenges of the future and to stimulate life-long learning and research. The college aims to equip students with knowledge and understanding of the Islamic way of life and skills to counter negative stereotyping of Islam.
The ICAS develops education and research in scientific, rational, and philosophical approaches to the Islamic thought & Islamic philosophy. In this regard, it provides high-level Islamic education by enriching Islamic thought and civilization with contemporary thoughts, cultures and civilizations.
ICAS propose an innovative study, which is still not available in some institutions. It is a synthesis of traditional approach and contemporary approach toward Islamic sciences. ICAS’s philosophy is harmony, which has to be nurtured in education circumstances. A harmony between ethic and knowledge, between theory and practical, between Islamic eternal value and Islamic civilization, and modern education, which has possibility to be grew up by modern technology.
ICAS held philosophical and rational education filled with religious wisdom, especially Islamic Studies. It is very beneficial to achieve the goal that has explained above. ICAS provides the best opportunity for every student who wants to have a deep understanding about Islam, Islamic Philosophy, Islamic Thought, and Islamic Jurisprudence in their context and perspective properly.
At ICAS students have the opportunity to study for certificate of BA and MA degree courses as well as Doctorate in a wide range of Islamic subject. The college strives for excellence and achievement within an intellectually rigorous caring and friendly Islamic environment.
A highly qualified academic staff provides support and guidance so that students may develop and work to their full potential. The college has well established link with universities and other centers of higher education. Excellent information technology, educational and academic facilities are an available for student’s use.
History
The college head quarter is located in a popular area of London, United Kingdom. Originally established in London (in 1999), ICAS grew and founded its branches in New York, Ghana and Jakarta.
ICAS set up it London in 1999 and opened a branch in Jakarta in 2003. Representative from ICAS London, Dr. Ali Movaheddi and outstanding Islamic scholar from Indonesia, Prof. Dr. Nurcholish Madjid signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 29 Juli 2002. The MOU was legalized by Dirjen Binbaga (Islamic Organization Building from Ministry of Religious Affair of Republic of Indonesia) and confirmed by State Secretary of Republic of Indonesia.
Reviewing the progress of Advanced Islamic Studies in Indonesia, as potrayed by development of IAIN –Indonesian State Institution of Islamic Studies-, Husni Rahim take note of Serious challenges of Globalization. Students of Advanced Islamic Studies in Indonesia cannot help but confront the issue in the most judicious way. He concludes the review by setting out three items on the agenda: “Firstly, we have to improve the quality of human resources; and that includes lectures, staff and employees in the department of religious affairs. Secondly, we have to develop a broad network of co operations incorporating universities and research centers both inside and outside the country. A network connecting Islamic traditional institutions such as madrasah and pesantren (Hawzah) may as well be improved. Thirdly, We have to broaden our discourses beyond the traditional discussion of Islamic Doctrines. We have to explore new frontier embracing not only sociological and anthropological studies of religion, butr also scientific disciplines so far disregarded by Islamic Institution.”[1]
Rahim’s agenda, though confined to IAIN, is indeed relevant to all Islamic institutions in Indonesia. It is in response to his observation that The Islamic College for Advanced Studies in London proposes to establish a local office in Indonesia. The College, accredited by Cambrige and Oxford, attempt to expand its enterprise to Moslem countries all over the world. Indonesia has been chosen as the most strategic site for its for regional office in South Esat Asia for several reasons.
First, Indonesia has been well-known for a special religiousity characterized by open-mindedness, inclusiveness, and tolerance. Throughout history Indonesia has been the encounter of different civilizations. With respect to Islamic knowledge, however, Indonesia experience has been more limited to Middle-Eastern countries of Sunnite origin. The College will bring the traditions of both schools of Islamic Thought –Sunnite and Shiite—together and examine them I free academic discussions. Since the language of instruction will be English, and Arabic will be taught as core subject, students will be expected not only to have access to very rich literature of Islam but also to take part in a global discourse on Islamic thought and civilization. In this way the College expected to contribute to the improvement of human resources, so much need in the present Indonesian situations.
Seconds, Indonesia having the largest Moslem population all over the world contains probably the largest number of students studying Islam in tertiary educational institution. Excluding thousand students who are studying abroad, almost two hundred thousand students are pursuing degrees in Islamic Studies. While the quality of education is still questionable, they are potentially well prepared for further improvement, if and only if they find a goog environment of learning. Considering the scanty resources available to Indonesian student today, we need to go to “outsourcing strategy”. It would mean, as Rahim noted earlier, the development of networking that brings in outside resources. The College will help build a worldly networking of human and financial resources all for the benefit of Muslims in Indonesia in particular and the world in general.
Third, according to Johan Meuleman, Indonesia advanced studies of Islam is currently in the crossroad, where traditional Islamic sciences meet with foreign scientific traditions, state conflict with civil society, and 
traditional religious sciences encounter modern sciences. The College will focus on this encounter of civilization, developing the programs that will cater for different needs and therefore designing special curricula for special students. In sum, we hope the College will help Indonesian Students in getting a handle on the complex issues involved in the globalization process.
The characteristic of ICAS Jakarta is integration of research and education. At the same time, it will be the branch mark of ICAS Jakarta; Center of Excellence of Research University in Islamic Philosophy, Islamic Mysticism and Islamic Studies, where this character is still a dream for a number of universities in Indonesia.
At the first year of establishing in 2003, ICAS Jakarta opened Master program for Islamic Philosophy and a year forward in 2004, it opened Master program of Islamic Mysticism. Then, in 2005 ICAS Jakarta opened Bachelor program with special program in Islamic Studies.
Vision , Mision and Aim
The vision of ICAS Jakarta is inspired by appearing of distortion in Islam textual. It has bad influence to the one of the main of Islamic Principles; it is Islam as rahmatan lil alamin. On the other side, Islam has been quarantined as only a private sphere of religious experience. It also escorts the process of marginalization of Moslem and places them as marginal people who can only adopt other people’s idea without creativity and genuine. Afterward, ICAS Jakarta viewed that only by integrating of reason and the holy text, Moslem people can construct their self in the global civilization.
Our Mission
To become a unique scholastic establishment providing a well-chosen environment for achieving academic as well as moral and spiritual exelence.
Our Special Mission in Indonesia
To establish an international institution of tertiary learning, providing facilities for advanced studies in Islamic science combining the traditions of all Islamic schools of thought, discussing Islam the modern worlds, bringing the Indonesian and other South-East Asian Students into International discourses on Islam, and giving them a global perspective.
Aims & Objectives
The Islamic College for Advanced Studies exist to serve the community by promoting:
1. Provide students academic excellence with original, wholesome and adequate knowledge about Islamic Studies, Islamic Philosophy and Islamic Mysticism
2. Provide the with the ability to teach themselves after leaving the college
3. Prepare them for higher degree courses in their field
4. Enable students to undertake research on Islamic topics
5. Give students the opportunity to understand slam directly from original Islamic sources with balanced moral, spiritual and intellectual development
6. Provide them the chance to fulfill their academic potential in the field of Islamic Studies, Islamic Philosophy and Islamic Mysticism
7. Provide students with the chance to appreciate Islam in a direct but comparative method and approach.
8. Provide an opportunity for next generation of Muslim students to become Confident self-assured Muslims with fully qualified in teaching Islamic Studies, Islamic Philosophy and Islamic Mysticism
9. Promoting inter-academic co-operation
Logos
ICAS’s logo consists of two main symbols, which symbolized of hikmah. First symbol is opened kitab means the granted knowledge. The second symbol is flower calyx means reality that always grows to be studied and understood become knowledge. Knowledge can dignify human to be noble as God’s representative on earth (kalifatullah).
Legal Accreditation
ICAS Jakarta operated in cooperation (MOU) with Paramadina University based on the legal aspect as follow:
Legalized by SK Ditjen Binbaga Islam, Departemen Agama RI
No………..
At the Head Quarter of ICAS in London UK, ICAS had been accredited by: The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education (BAC)
Inspection Summary : Islamic College for Advanced Studies
The Islamic College for Advanced Studies was inspected by The British Accreditattion Council in May 1999. BAC’s Inspectors reported a good or satisfactory level of provision in all of the areas assessed. The Inspectors a very vafourablle impression of the premises, which were newly refurbished. In immaculate condition and very well equipped. There was disctinctive ethos and a clearly focused set of objectives, and the inspectors paid tribute to the leaderships shown by General Secretary of the Irshad Trust and his senior colleagues. They noted with approval that College was successful in involving parents in support of the progress of their sons and daughters. Overall, they considered that the College had made remarkable progress in the relatively short time since its inception.
The Islamic College for Advanced Studies was awarded accreditation by The British Accreditation Council in July 1999 and has been recognized as a n efficient college by The British Council for Further and Higher Educations.
President : Sir Wilfred Cockcroft
Chairman: Eric Meat CBE
Chief Executive: Robin Laidlaw MA
and at London UK, ICAS London in Cooperation with:
[1] Husni Rahim, “IAIN dan Masa Depan Islam Indonesia.” Dalam Komaruddin Hidayat dan Hendro Prasetyo, eds. Probelem dan Prospek IAIN: Antologi Pendidikan Islam, Jakarta:P Departemen Agama RI, 2000,p.419.
