PhD research

Ulama and the State in Modern Aceh 
Supervisor: Prof. dr. Léon Buskens 

My PhD project studies the re-emergence of Islamic politics in Aceh through a detailed analysis on the political contemporary role, agenda, and campaign of  ulama in the region after being largely marginalized during the New Order regime of Soeharto-Indonesia. Since Indonesia reformation agenda was launched in 1999, the sharia law was largely enforced in the region (Aceh). This makes ulama role started becoming crucial in setting community vision and ideology, where state is unable to deliver direct impacts.  My research also studies about how the ulama and the state, which tends to employ ulama to maintain the power, affect and influence each other.

Fields of Interest

My fields of interest include Islamic Thoughts, Politics, Gender, and Governance.

Work Experiences

I worked as Program Officer at well-established local research institution, International Centre for Aceh and Indian Ocean Studies (ICAIOS) from 2011-2013. I am a lecturer on Islamic Studies related topics at School of Islamic Studies (Ushuluddin) of Ar-Raniry Islamic State Institute, Banda Aceh-Indonesia from 2009-2013. At the same time, I also served Special Executive Staff for Deputy Rector for External and Public Affairs of The Ar-Raniry Islamic State Institute from 2009-2013.

Educational Background

I obtained my BA in 2004 from Islamic Theology and Philosophy Department at School of Islamic Studies of Ar-Raniry Islamic State Institute. In 2010, I got MA from McGill University, Canada, in Interdisciplinary Studies after completing thesis research on  Politicization of Sharia: Behind the Implementation of Sharia Law in Aceh-Indonesia.

Research

My field researches are related to policies and development of Aceh Province Government, Indonesia. They are among other:

• Mapping Knowledge Sector in Aceh, (ICAIOS team, in progress).
• Effectiveness and Contribution of Aceh Government Scholarship Aids to Regional Development (Presented in International Conference on Social Recovery in Post-Conflict and Post-Disasters Society, organized by ICAIOS in collaboration with Harvard University)
• Effectiveness and Contribution of Aceh Government Scholarship Aids to Regional Development (Presented in International Conference on Social Recovery in Post-Conflict and Post-Disasters Society, organized by ICAIOS in collaboration with Harvard University)
• Analysis on Mitigation and Traditional Adaption Strategic of Aceh Taming Community to Flood Caused by Taming River, (Aceh Regional Planning Bureau’s Team)
• The Role of Customary Law in Solving Communal Conflict within Acehnese Society; A Case Study in Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar, and Aceh Tengah. (Presented in International Conference on  Future and Potentials of Mediation with Reference to Asia and Indonesia. organized by Walisongo Mediation Center (WMC) Semarang, Indonesia, and Nuffic, Netherlands. 

Publications

• Shariah, Politics, and Women in Aceh (Book),
• Acehnese Women Under the Banner of Shari’ah Law in Aceh-Indonesia and the Effect of Speaking for Other (Journal article)
• Islamic Political Thought; mapping Islamic political mainstream from classic to 20thcentury (journal article)
• An Alternative Explanation: Behind the Implementation of Sharia Law in Aceh, Indonesia (Journal article).

Grants

My PhD research is four year full funded by Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education of Ministry of Finance of Republic Indonesia (2013 -2017). While My MA was two years full funded by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) (2007-2009)