
Annex 1 
International Conference Agenda 
Rethinking Indonesia’s ‘Islam Nusantara’: From Local Relevance to Global Significance 
Monday, March 27
th
, 2017 at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam 
 
Reception and registration 
Opening Ceremony speeches 
-  Introducing the programme by MC 
-  Speech by President of Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam 
-  Speech by Head Office of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) 
1
st 
Keynote: 
Honorary Dr. H.  Lukman H.  Saifuddin, Minister of Religious 
Affairs (MoRA) of the Republic of Indonesia  
MoU Signing Ceremony between MORA and VU 
2
nd
 Keynote: 
Prof.  Dr.  KH.  Said  Aqil  Siroj,  M.A.,  NU  Central  Board 
Chairman 
3
rd
 Keynote: 
Prof.  Dr.  Phil.  Kamaruddin  Amin,  MA,  Director  General  of 
Islamic Education, the Ministry of Religious Affairs. 
5
th
 Keynote: 
Prof. Dr. Thijl Sunier, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam 
Panel 1: 
The  Intellectual  Roots  of  ‘Islam  Nusantara’:  Its  Core 
Strength, Relevance and its Contextualization 
Room 1:   
Discussant:  
Dr. Carl Sterkens 
Panel 2: 
Reproducing and Disseminating ‘Islam Nusantara’ in Islamic 
Education 
Room 2:  
Discussant: 
Dr. Roel Meijer  
Panel 3: 
Rethinking  ‘Islam  Nusantara’—In  the  Context  of  the 
Dynamics of Islamic Law, Adat and the State’s Legal System 
Room 3:  
Discussant: 
Dr. Adriaan Bedner 
Panel 4: 
Rethinking ‘Islam Nusantara’—In the Context of Democracy, 
Citizenship and Human Rights 
Room 4:  
Discussant: 
Dr. Yaser Ellethy 
Panel 5: 
Rethinking  ‘Islam  Nusantara’—In  the  Context  of  Socio-
economic Inequality and Ecological Crisis 
Room 1:  
Discussant: 
Dr. Freek Colombijn 
Panel 6: 
Rethinking  ‘Islam  Nusantara’—In  the  Context  of  the 
Dynamics of New Media and Religious Authority 
Room 2:  
Discussant: 
Dr. Martin Slama 
Panel 7: 
Rethinking  ‘Islam  Nusantara’—In  the  Context  of  Religious 
Plurality 
Room 3:  
Discussant: 
Ward Berenschot 
Panel 8: 
Rethinking  ‘Islam  Nusantara’—In  the  Dialogue  with 
Localities 
Room 4:  
Discussant: 
Dr. Bart Barenregt 
Closing Remarks  
Prof. Dr. Karel Steenbrink, Professor Emeritus in Intercultural 
Theology at Utrecht University