The Regional Executive Board of the Indonesian Association of Islamic Economists (IAEI) Türkiye has initiated a series of strategic follow-up initiatives with the National Board of Zakat (BAZNAS) of the Republic of Indonesia to strengthen collaboration in advancing zakat, waqf, Islamic social finance, and human capital development at both national and international levels. The initiatives emerged from a productive meeting between the two institutions, where both parties exchanged ideas and explored opportunities for cooperation aimed at creating a more inclusive, sustainable, and impactful Islamic economic ecosystem.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Aam Slamet Rusydiana, Chairperson of IAEI Türkiye, expressed his appreciation for the warm reception and constructive discussions with BAZNAS Indonesia. He emphasized that stronger collaboration between academic institutions and zakat authorities could significantly contribute to the advancement of Islamic social finance and the development of future generations of Muslim leaders and scholars.
One of the key initiatives proposed by IAEI Türkiye is the establishment of scholarship opportunities in Türkiye for Indonesian students pursuing Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees. The initiative aims to strengthen human capital development by empowering young Indonesians to contribute to the fields of Islamic economics, social finance, community development, and national prosperity.
IAEI Türkiye has also proposed collaborative research programs on zakat, waqf, and Islamic social finance, focusing on issues such as zakat management, waqf development, poverty alleviation, financial inclusion, and sustainable socio-economic development. The organization believes that deeper academic cooperation could generate valuable scholarly contributions, policy insights, and practical recommendations that benefit Indonesia and the broader Muslim world.
In addition, IAEI Türkiye is exploring publication opportunities through the International Journal of Zakat (IJAZ) for selected high-quality papers presented at SAKİNAH TÜRKİYE 2026: Global Forum on Islamic Finance. The collaboration is expected to enhance the academic impact and international visibility of research findings related to Islamic social finance and sustainable development while providing an important platform for researchers and practitioners from various countries.
As part of the preparations for SAKİNAH TÜRKİYE 2026, IAEI Türkiye has also invited a distinguished representative from BAZNAS Indonesia to participate as a speaker in one of the forum's plenary or CEO Talks sessions. Given BAZNAS's internationally recognized achievements in zakat governance, collection, distribution, and empowerment programs, its participation is expected to provide valuable insights for academics, policymakers, industry practitioners, and international stakeholders attending the forum.
Furthermore, IAEI Türkiye has expressed its interest in developing a strategic partnership and institutional collaboration with BAZNAS Indonesia in organizing SAKİNAH TÜRKİYE 2026. Beyond sponsorship opportunities, the organization highly values cooperation in research, publication, capacity building, student development, international networking, and the promotion of Islamic social finance initiatives that align with the shared missions of both institutions. To ensure the sustainability of the partnership, IAEI Türkiye has proposed further discussions regarding formal cooperation mechanisms, including the possibility of establishing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), a Letter of Intent (LoI), or other collaborative frameworks deemed appropriate by both parties.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakan Aslan, Advisory Board Member of IAEI Türkiye and Head of the Department of Islamic Economics and Finance at Sakarya University, noted that closer cooperation between BAZNAS and IAEI Türkiye could serve as a strategic bridge connecting Indonesia and Türkiye in advancing education, research, zakat, waqf, and Islamic social finance at the global level. He expressed confidence that such collaboration would contribute meaningfully to building a more inclusive and sustainable Islamic economic ecosystem.
Through these initiatives, IAEI Türkiye remains optimistic that stronger synergy between academic communities and Islamic social finance institutions will reinforce the global role of Indonesia and Türkiye in promoting innovation, knowledge exchange, and sustainable development within the Islamic economic and social finance landscape.