Sejahtera Academic Framework (SAF)

24 23 The Sejahtera Academic Framework is IIUM’s articulation of humanising education in the post-pandemic and post-materialistic era, where humanising education is the enterprise of knowing and glorifying Allah and seeking knowledge and putting it to beneficial use in the society for the achievement of Raḥmatan lil- ʿ Ā lamīn . It is values-based. The Arabic word for ‘religion’ ( deen , Arabic root د ي ن ) is strongly associated with spiritual intellectual and civilised life, with its four primary meanings being mutual obligation, submission or acknowledgment, judicial authority, and natural inclination (Douglas and Shaikh, 2004). Deen expresses the idea of obligation toward Allah, based on natural inclination towards Him. A derivation of this root is the Arabic word for city— madinah . A city is a community of complex social relations and transactions based on responsible and reciprocal fulfillment of obligations, submission to civil judgment and authority. Another derivation is the word tamaddana , meaning to found cities, or to humanise thought, while the word tamaddun itself means civilisation or refinement of manners (Douglas & Shaikh, 2004). For people to be civilised, they need education. And in IIUM, this education is grounded in the philosophy of knowledge that is firmly rooted in Islam, the deen , a way of life. Hence, humanising education here means that students are not seen as products, but as vital and active forces of the University’s existence, where students co-create their learning experience and their educational environment for glorifying Allah and seeking knowledge and putting it to beneficial use in the society for the achievement of Raḥmatan lil- ʿ Ā lamīn . As active participants, students are also responsible and accountable for their actions, as part of the learning process, thus making them wiser. Humanising education here also means that instructors are given the opportunity and support to also develop and prosper. They are not robots, or even robot-like, who repetitively teach a course or conduct research simply to fulfill their annual performance goal set up by another party. Instead, they generate and propagate knowledge, beyond the walls of their classrooms or offices, and engage in effecting progress in the community, on or off campus. In a humanising educational organisation, the other members in the University community are also engaged to provide an ecosystem that celebrates knowledge and activities related to it. The importance of staff members is not measured by their position, but by their commitment towards providing the best, as befit their own roles of khalīfah. In other words, the performance of staff is measured by their impactful contributions. With this overarching principle in mind, the elements of SAF are briefly described below: Maqā ṣ id Ash-Sharī ʿ ah The concept of Maqā ṣ id Ash-Sharī ʿ ah does not just inform the decisions made with regards to the administration of the academic programmes and University affairs, but it also underlies the values to be embedded in both the formal and informal academic curricula. It is the raison d’etre of the University. Hifz al-dīn, an-nafs, al-‘aql, al-mal and an-nasl is loosely translated as preservation and promotion of faith, life, intellect, wealth and lineage. They are aslo the five essentials of human existence. Vision and Mission The Vision and the 7 mission statements of IIUM as preserved in the IIUM Constitution provide another layer of inspiration for creating the IIUM transformative educational experience. Academic activities - be them curriculum development and implementation, research, publication or consultation - should endeavour to embrace the vision and mission. Pillars of Learning The pillars of learning as espoused by UNESCO are adopted into the SAF. Learning to know, learning to do, learning to be, learning to live together and learning to become (i.e., to transform oneself and society) are not just learning outcomes to be put on paper, but they inform our pedagogical practices and co-curricular activities, emphasising IIUM’s role in nurturing the person and developing the ummah. Formal Academic Structure This element constitutes the formal academic structures, forming a major, if not the most important, part in a student’s educational experience while in IIUM. Students come to IIUM in pursuit of a formal academic qualification, and the University is accountable to offer them high quality education, evidenced via accredited academic programmes. The structure of the programmes will differ for the different levels of studies, but the educational goals remain the same. Non-formal student life The non-credited student activities also shape students. The formal academic load should not consume the entire time of the students’ tenure in IIUM. Cognizant of this, there should be structured or semi-structured activities or programmes that are non-credited and voluntary, yet will contribute to the students’ educational experience beyond the classrooms and the campus. This may be in the form of (but not limited to) student clubs, organised sports, cultural activities, community engagement projects, etc.