The efforts to build more inclusive, contextual, and everyday-oriented spaces for interfaith dialogue became the main focus of The 7th Mini Graduate Student Conference, held at the Faculty of Theology of Satya Wacana Christian University (UKSW) in Salatiga. This event was an academic collaboration of the Interreligious and Cross-Cultural Studies (ALB) Program of the Graduate School at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS), the Faculty of Theology at UKSW, and UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, and was held on June 6th 2026.
The conference, with the theme “Interreligious Engagements: Everydayness and Informal Dialogue,” served as a strategic platform for graduate students to discuss their research findings, expand academic networks, and reflect on interreligious relations as they are practiced in everyday social life.
The event began with an opening session featuring representatives from CRCS/IRS of the UGM Graduate School, Prof. Fatimah Husein, M.A., Ph.D., and Rev. Irene Ludji, MAR, Ph.D., Vice Dean of the Faculty of Theology at UKSW. In their remarks, both speakers emphasized the importance of academic spaces as venues for strengthening interfaith understanding with dialogical, critical, and experience-based approaches.
The conference’s participants presented a wide range of research projects organized into three main panels: Ritual, Collective Memory, and Cultural Moderation; Public Space, Freedom & Living Across Boundaries; and Food, Materiality & Everyday Hospitality. The themes highlighted how religious practices are not confined to formal settings but are also manifested in daily activities, collective memory, local culture, public spaces, and the practice of sharing food within diverse communities.
One session that attracted significant attention was the panel “Public Space, Freedom & Living Across Boundaries,” which featured a study on the experiences of Christian students in building friendships within UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. The research offered an insightful perspective on how academic spaces can become encounters on identities, fostering mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation amid differences in belief.
“As a member of the 2025 ALB cohort, this was my first experience participating in the Mini Graduate Student Conference. The overarching theme of Interreligious Engagements was truly evident from the moment I entered the conference venue at the Faculty of Theology of UKSW. Moreover, all of the research presentations were highly engaging and further strengthened the spirit of interfaith dialogue that lies at the heart of this event. One of the most memorable presentations was the study by colleagues from UIN Sunan Kalijaga, which explored the experiences of Christian students in building friendships within their campus environment,” said Marsekal Gimbo, one of the students involved in the conference.
The organization of The 7th Mini Graduate Student Conference demonstrates the commitment of higher education institutions to advancing religious studies that are relevant to contemporary social dynamics. Through collaboration among UGM, UKSW, and UIN Sunan Kalijaga. The event strengthened the academic capacities of students and also reaffirmed the important role of universities as spaces for dialogue that can bridge differences, broaden perspectives, and help build a more inclusive and harmonious future society.
Author: Siti Muyasaroh