Pesantren Kampus and the Preservation of Islamic Intellectual Traditions: Innovation in Indonesian Islamic Higher Education

Muhamad Ali Mustofa Kamal; M. Nur Kholis Setiawan; Ilfi Nur Diana

doi:10.18860/ua.v27i1.41267

Pesantren Kampus and the Preservation of Islamic Intellectual Traditions: Innovation in Indonesian Islamic Higher Education

Muhamad Ali Mustofa Kamal, M. Nur Kholis Setiawan, Ilfi Nur Diana

Abstract

This study examines the role of Pesantren Kampus within Islamic Higher Education Institution (IHEI) and its innovative strategies for sustaining Islamic knowledge amid modern academic challenges. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, this study conducted field research at six IHEIs in Jakarta, Purwokerto, Wonosobo, Semarang, Yogyakarta, and Malang. Four main strategies are revealed: first, institutional integration between IHEI and pesantren connecting traditional Islamic studies and formal education; second, expanding technology-based programs reflects innovative teaching supported by a monitoring and evaluation application system; third, integration of turâth curriculum with modern research methodologies to strengthen the relevance of Islamic studies; and fourth, development of a community-based spiritual mentoring model to promote character development and academic ethics. These findings demonstrate that Pesantren Kampus functions not only as religious support institutions but also as spaces for the dissemination, transformation, and revitalization of Islamic knowledge within a modern higher education environment. Moreover, it highlights the impact of the four strategies on student formation, producing academically competent, religiously grounded, technologically literate, and socially engaged graduates. This study contributes to the discourse on IHEI by offering a conceptual framework of institutional, pedagogical, technological, and spiritual innovation for Pesantren Kampus. It also provides strategic roadmap for Pesantren Kampus to move beyond supportive roles and become active institutional participants in transforming Islamic knowledge paradigm within IHEI.

Keywords

educational innovation; Islamic intellectual tradition; Islamic higher education; pesantren; kampus

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/ua.v27i1.41267