Indonesian Academicians Visit Our Foundation

Recently our Foundation hosted a group of eight academicians from Raden Fatah State Islamic University in Sumatra, Indonesia for a two-day workshop. The guests included the rector, assistant rector, dean, heads of department and other faculty members. 

The group were introduced to the President of our Foundation, Mehmet Nuri Güleç (Firinci Agabey) as well as the Arabic translator of the Risale-i Nur, İhsan Kasım Ağabey along with other staff at the Foundation. Members of Raden Fatah State Islamic University introduced themselves individually and this was followed by speeches from the rector (Prof. Dr. H.M. Sirozi) and assistant rector (Dr. Ismail Sukardi) about the history of as well as academic activities conducted by their university. The university was established in 1964 as a private Islamic sciences institute up until 2014 when it became a state Islamic university. Today the university consists of nine different faculties and over 20,000 students and both the rector and other members of staff express a wish to further develop the success of the institution through conducting joint projects and agreements with institutions in Turkey. They also talked about potential student exchange programmes between Turkey and Indonesia. The university in particular discussed potential joint projects with our Foundation, such as the sending of some graduate students to Turkey to research the Risale-i Nur as part of their curriculum of 'Modern Islamic Thought'.

In the meeting, our President Mehmet Nuri Güleç discussed the history of the Istanbul Foundation for Science and Culture and its activities, followed by an overview of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi's thought and the essence of the Risale-i Nur. He also discussed the importance of an appropriate and particular method of "service to belief" for the modern times that we are living in. Ihsan Kasim Ağabey then discussed the reasons for his translating the Risale-i Nur into Arabic as well as the character and good example of the students of the Risale who have lived in Turkey as Said Nursi's students. He also took questions and answers at the end of his speech on various topics. Hasbi Şen, a Turkish representative of our Foundation who lives in Indonesia - translated the questions and comments of those who could not speak Arabic or Turkish. 

The group of academicians were also introduced to a variety of historical and religious places and sites in Istanbul as well as visiting some universities and academic institutions.