Hasanuddin University has established the Center for Arabic Language and Middle Eastern Studies, which was inaugurated in person by Rector of Hasanuddin University Prof. Dr. Ir. Jamaluddin Jompa, M.Sc. The center is located on the ground floor of the Unhas Tamalanrea Campus Mosque and was inaugurated on Friday (6 March).
The center was formed on 6 January 2026 with a focus on developing multidisciplinary research related to the Arabic language, culture, geopolitics, economics, and issues of the Middle East region.
Vice Rector for Partnerships, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Business of Hasanuddin University, Prof. Dr. Eng. Ir. Adi Maulana, S.T., M.Phil., said that the center is expected to help boost the competence of the Unhas academic community in supporting international academic cooperation and research.
In addition, the center is also expected to strengthen Unhas’s internationalization program through the development of research networks, academic exchanges, and international publication and conference collaborations.
“This cooperation has begun, among others through a joint seminar with Al-Azhar University. Going forward, the center will also actively develop studies on the Middle East and hold regular coordination meetings. In addition, this place is also planned to become a museum of the center of Islamic civilization,” Adi Maulana said.
Unhas Rector Prof JJ stressed that a campus should be not only an academic space but also one with spiritual strength for the academic community.
Prof. JJ further said the center will also be used for the deans’ coordination meetings every Friday, held together with Arabic language study sessions.
“Unhas must not be merely an academic space, but also a home that builds a balance between worldly knowledge and the values of the hereafter. That is why we have established this center as a space for collaboration between the two,” stressed Prof. JJ.
Prof. JJ hopes the center will be a first step for the academic community to expand cooperation with various universities in the Middle East region.(*/ams)
Editor: Ishaq Rahman
This article is an English translation of the original Indonesian report.