YOGYAKARTA — The Faculty of Islamic Education and Education (FITK) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga held a virtual international panel discussion titled International Conference 2026 on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Initiated by the Doctoral Study Program for Islamic Elementary School Teacher Education (PGMI), this scholarly forum brought together hundreds of academics from across Southeast Asia to explore the reinforcement of resilience and an ethical future for the younger generation through Islamic primary education. This scientific panel specifically addressed cross-border educational management challenges, child nutrition fulfillment, and the urgency of safeguarding primary school teachers' mental wellbeing across the region.
The discussion featured two primary panelists: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Abdulaziz Kalupae from Fatoni University, Thailand, and Satria Abadi, Ph.D., from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Malaysia. Dr. Abdulaziz outlined the successful management of school nutrition assistance (*midday rice*) based on mosque community networks in Southern Thailand. Meanwhile, Satria Abadi presented material regarding the happy teacher effect and advocated for a smart delegation strategy to trim administrative reporting burdens, thereby granting teachers ample room to innovate in the classroom.
"We highly appreciate the organization of this conference as a continuous manifestation of our commitment to reinforcing the program's excellence toward global recognition. This discussion on teacher wellbeing and child nutrition significantly enriches our global perspective in elementary education, particularly on how to nurture a resilient and ethically grounded future generation,"
— Prof. Dr. Sigit Purnama, M.Pd. (Dean of FITK UIN Sunan Kalijaga)The core substance of the panel re-emphasized that a teacher's emotional stability and balanced student nutrition are crucial variables that directly impact students' academic achievements.
The panel debate grew increasingly dynamic as participants responded to the newly implemented Free Nutritious Meal Program (MBG) by the Indonesian Government. In response, Satria Abadi provided an objective view, stating that the program is excellent in principle. However, drawing from integrated, hygienic school kitchen management models in European nations like the Netherlands, he reminded the audience that Indonesia needs regular evaluations and structural refinements in logistical governance to ensure the policy is accurately targeted and sustainable.
Concluding the conference series, the committee directed participants to enter eight parallel presentation rooms to deliver their research papers in detail. The final output of this event is the submission of full papers from international collaborative research to be published in reputable scientific journals, serving as a tangible contribution to resolving global educational issues.