The Garden of Knowledge and Virtue: A Tale of Necessity and Duty (Taman Ilmu dan Budi: Suatu Keperluan dan Kewajipan)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31436/jia.v17i4.943Abstract
This paper addresses the perceptions and practices of doctorate candidates at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) toward its vision of devoting educational efforts for restoring the dynamic role of the Muslim Ummah in all fields of knowledge and intellectual discourse. It investigates to what extent they possess competent research skills and foster core values such as cooperation and trust. It utilizes the qualitative research approach, using thematic analysis of data collected by semi-structured interviews. The sample is composed of ten Ph.D candidates, coming from the Middle East and Asian countries who currently study at IIUM. They are all Muslims; four females and six males. Eight candidates are the international students and two are Malaysians. Purposive sampling was implemented to select the candidates who were still pursuing their Ph.D degree at the time of conducting the study. They all came from five different kulliyyah (faculties), with two from each kulliyyah. The study showed that the Ph.D candidates’ practices did not reflect the vision of IIUM. They lacked of competent research knowledge and skills as well as the core values represented by cooperation and mutual trust, which were clearly manifested in the IIUM’s vision. The implication of this current qualitative study may bring into the realization of the existing critical situation of the Muslim Ummah. The Maqasid al-Shariah may be seen as the practical formula for IIUM to restore the core educational system for Islamic revivalism and glory.
Keywords: Doctorate Students (Ph.D), Research Knowledge and Skills, IIUM Vision, Cooperation, Mutual Trust, Maqasid al-Sharia.
Abstrak
Makalah ini membahas persepsi dan amalan calon pelajar kedoktoran di Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) terhadap visinya untuk menumpukan usaha pendidikan bagi mengembalikan peranan dinamis umat Islam dalam semua bidang pengetahuan dan wacana intelektual. Ia mengkaji sejauh mana mereka mempunyai kemahiran penyelidikan dan keupayaan memupuk nilai-nilai teras seperti kerjasama dan kepercayaan. Makalah ini menggunakan pendekatan penyelidikan kualitatif, melalui analisis bertema dari data temu ramah separa berstruktur. Sampel terdiri daripada sepuluh calon Ph.D, yang berasal dari Timur Tengah dan negara Asia yang belajar di UIAM. Mereka semua beragama Islam; empat perempuan dan enam lelaki. Lapan calon merupakan pelajar antarabangsa dan dua daripadanya adalah pelajar Malaysia. Persampelan bertujuan untuk memilih calon yang masih dalam pengajian dalam peringkat Ph.D, ketika kajian dijalankan. Mereka semua berasal dari lima kulliyyah yang berbeza, di mana dua sampel dipilih dari kulliyyah yang sama. Kajian menunjukkan bahawa amalan calon Ph.D tidak mencerminkan visi UIAM. Adalah didapati bahawa mereka kurang mempunyai pengetahuan dan kemahiran penyelidikan yang kompeten serta kurang mepunyai nilai teras seperti kerjasama dan saling mempercayai. Implikasi kajian kualitatif ini dapat mewujudkan kesedaran keadaan kritikal umat Islam masakini. Maqasid al-Sharia mungkin merupakan formula praktikal yang boleh UIAM gunapakai untuk mengembalikan sistem pendidikan teras demi kebangkitan dan kegemilangan Islam.
Kata kunci: Calon kedoktoran (Ph.D), Pengetahuan dan Kemahiran Penyelidikan, Visi UIAM, Kerjasama, Saling Mempercayai, Maqasid al-Sharia.
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