Since Khofifah took office in 2019, every year the East Java Provincial Government sent 30 students to study at the undergraduate level at Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.
Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA) - The 2019-2024 East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Rector of Al Azhar University Prof. Dr. Salama Gomaa Daud met in Surabaya to discuss potential cooperation.

"There were many things that we discussed with Mrs. Khofifah regarding cooperation and what potentials we can establish between Al Azhar and East Java--particularly about scholarship and training," the university's rector said in a statement received on Sunday.

Since Khofifah took office in 2019, every year the East Java Provincial Government sent 30 students to study at the undergraduate level at Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.

They are religious teachers and students from East Java who have been selected to study at Azhar with full scholarship from the East Java Provincial Government.

Entering the fourth year, the number of students sent to Al Azhar continues to increase to 33 people per year. They are given educational costs, living costs and also dormitories in Cairo.

Khofifah has continued to strive so the quota or number of students who can study at Azhar can continue to increase, with the hope of improving the quality of human resources in East Java.

"Regarding the quota for Al Azhar scholarship recipients, it is usually determined by the central government and then the quota is divided into each region. But we are open to anyone to be able to study at Al Azhar," Prof. Daud said.

Meanwhile, Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa said that during the meeting, she also discussed Al Azhar's concern in spreading the Islamic ideology of moderation and tolerance.

"We know that Al Azhar--led by the Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar, Sheikh Thayeb--is very concerned about spreading moderation, tolerance and deradicalization. For that reason, this time, he said that they want to establish cooperation to spread the teachings of moderation, deradicalization and anti-terrorism to children," Khofifah noted.

One of the media used by Al Azhar in teaching moderation and tolerance is through comic books, which are very interesting for children.

Al Azhar has been collaborating with several countries--not only with government institutions but also with non-governmental institutions--to teach moderation and tolerance for children.

For the ASEAN region, the university have collaborated with Malaysia.

"This movement is very strategic. It even can be coordinated directly through the central government with synergy with the Ministry of Women's Empowerment to be more effective, because they handle programs related to women and children starting from an early age," Khofifah informed.

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Translator: Willi Irawan, Yashinta Difa
Editor: Arie Novarina
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