PSU primes to host the International Islamic Conference
on December 21-23, 2010

Prince of Songkla University is ready to launch the International Islamic Conference titled “Role of Islamic Studies in Post Globalized Society” on 21-23 Dec, 2010. The Thai prime minister will inaugurate and preside the open ceremony at College of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus. There will be various Islamic higher institutions from all over the world attending this conference    sharing and exchanging the remarkable ideas from the prominent educationists and dignitaries about programs that support and up to date to the new era. Moreover this conference aims to ascend the notions in establishing and managing for more than  10 projects internationally .
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bunsom Siribamrungsuk, president of Prince of Songkla University noted that roles in elevating Islamic studies programs in Prince of Songkla University by College of Islamic Studies, Pattani Campus can be granted as the initial and pivotal Islamic division which established among other higher institutions in Thailand. Currently College of Islamic Studies offers six different programs namely Islamic Studies, Islamic Law, Islamic Economics and Management, Middle East Studies, Islamic Education and Master of Education Program in Islamic Educational Administration and Management. At the same time, College of Islamic Studies also has possession of such outstanding unit in enabling solve problems in the areas which known as Academic Community Service Unit. Working on researches for development together with extending Islamic knowledge toward the communities are the main visions of such unit.
         In the near future, there is an idea to establish teacher development center of Islamic Studies in order to mobilize Islamic studies teachers which includes Tadika teachers, Pondok teachers as well as Islamic studies teachers. This project is a result of collaboration between Thailand and Malaysia Ministry of Education and is awaiting for proposal approval from Thai Commission on Higher Education. On top of that initiative in piloting the Thai-Middle east Collaboration Research Center which comprises of language skills development center that believes to become Testing Center of Arabic.
         College of Islamic studies also provides International Islamic Studies program. There are students from Africa, China and Thailand who come and pursue their study in this program. Arabic is mainly used as medium in teaching and studying as lecturers are well selected from those who truly competent and graduated from overseas as well as foreign lecturers.
         Regarding the inclination in launching this International Islamic Studies Conference on December 21-23, 2010, the president of Prince of Songkla University said that even though having such restraint of timeframe, College of Islamic Studies, Pattani Campus utilized their utmost brawny collaboration from such marvelous co-workers who were graduates from various universities and countries as project co-coordinators. Recently, there are about 100 International prominent Muslim educationists and researchers agree to participate and attend in this conference like from Al-Azhar University, Egypt, Al-Albayt University, Mutah University, Yarmouk University, Jordan, Al-Neelain University, Sudan, Madinah University, Saudi Arabia. And not to forget the representatives from Islamic Studies institutions in Malaysia and Indonesia and Thailand as well.
         In addition, the honorable ministers from numerous countries forwarded the letter of intense (confirmation) to us such as the minister of religious affairs of Saudi Arabia, minister of Social Affairs of Indonesia, and minster of labor of Cambodia. And expecting approximately 200 participants to attend the conference.
         There will be presenting Islamic Studies academic papers, researches and round table discussion from many universities in order to elevate the quality of the Islamic studies of College of Islamic Studies, Pattani Campus in particular and of Islamic Studies world in Thailand in a way that suits the challenges of post Globalization era. Besides, we received such utmost grateful support from Sheikhul Islam Office of Thailand in inviting Mutis and religious leaders from Asian counties to attend the conference by setting either an exclusive meeting or immense meeting for this group of dignitaries.
         “In hosting this conference, it will be such a great loss if we fling opportunity to educationists to pour and discuss their ideas and then just leave the fruitful outcomes without taking any actions. Thus, College of Islamic Studies put great effort in preparing discussion issues, exclusive meeting, in accomplishing the corporation from other universities in the future. And the object envisage by us is putting in place extended action plans to help create other ten international educational programs” said the president of Prince of Songkla University.
         



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