by Nurul Nabihah
GOMBAK, 28 July 2023: More than 80 local and international researchers were celebrated in the International Competition and Exhibition of Research and Innovation on Islamic Studies and Human Sciences (ICONISHS) 2023, which took off with a flourish in the IIUM Cultural Centre on 24 July 2023.
The exhibition was organised by Abdul Hamid AbuSulayman Kulliyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (AHAS KIRKHS) IIUM in collaboration with the faculty of Islamic Studies and Social Sciences (FPISS) of Sultan Azlan Shah University.
The exhibition started with a welcoming speech from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs of Sultan Azlan Shah University, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Wan Sabri.
“This event represents a unique opportunity to celebrate the rich tapestry of knowledge and culture that has been nurtured through centuries of exploration, inquiry, and intellectual exchange,” he noted.
In the officiating speech, the rector of IIUM, Prof. Emeritus Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Dzulkifli Bin Abdul Razak, emphasised that “We have knowledge that they do not have. We need to share this knowledge. We need to make it real. We need to make it relevant.”
The event mainly dealt with an exhibition of two research areas, Islamic studies and human sciences, in English, Arabic, and Malay.
Five awards were granted to the participants in regards to the best poster for Islamic studies and human sciences, impactful research, and research innovation.
The event proceeded to a book launch ceremony whereby research studies by some participants were developed into books for the perusal of the community.
The lecturers and students of the Department of English Language and Literature (DELL) were among the contributors who discussed "Modern Spirituality in Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist: A Religious Archetypal Reading" by Dr. Homam Altabaa and Nadiah Ashaary, "Enriching the Islamic Tradition in Research Inquiry: Some Practical Guidelines in Using Qualitative Data Collection Techniques" edited by Associate Prof. Dr. Adlina Ariffin, and "Code-Switching in Diverse Contexts" edited by Dr. Ainul Azmin Md Zamin and Dr. Maimunah Abdul Kadir.
Following that, lecturers of DELL, such as Associate Prof. Dr. Adlina Ariffin and Dr. Homam Altabaa, received certificates of appreciation for ICONISHS 2023 from the rector and Prof. Dr. Shukran Abd Rahman, the Dean of AHAS KIRKHS, as contributing participants. The event continued with the exhibition of research posters, whereby the exhibitors explained their research to the guests and judges.
In her closing remark, Associate Prof. Dr. Haslina Ibrahim, the chairperson of ICONISHS 2023, highlighted that a lot of research has been focusing on science and technology, which are able to produce tangible products to showcase compared to Islamic and human sciences studies.
“It is high time for scholars [and] researchers of Islamic Studies and Human Sciences to come forward and tell what we have been doing so far,” remarked Dr. Haslina, highlighting the relevance of such an exhibition of Islamic Studies and Human Sciences research to both the learned and learning communities.
ICONISHS 2023 was hoped to be a regional and, consequently, global event by bringing researchers from various universities in Asia and more collaborations from various organisations to invite a bigger crowd and be more impactful to the community.***
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