MALÉ, Maldives, 2 September 2026 – The Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws (AIKOL), International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), has further strengthened its international presence through a successful academic mission to the Republic of Maldives from 29 August to 2 September 2026, reinforcing strategic collaborations with leading legal institutions and higher education partners while showcasing AIKOL’s academic excellence on the global stage.
The delegation’s visit combined participation in the International Conference on Intellectual Advancement (ICIA) 2026, hosted by the Islamic University of Maldives, with a series of high-level institutional meetings to expand academic cooperation with the Maldivian judiciary, prosecutorial service, and higher education sector. The conference, held under the theme “Building Learning Society for Sustainable Development,” featured approximately 500 paper presentations, including 12 by AIKOL academics, three of which were delivered virtually.
AIKOL’s scholarly contributions received notable international recognition. Prof. Azizah Mohd was honored with the Best Presentation Award, while Dr. Sodiq Omoola received the Best Paper Award, reflecting the Kulliyyah’s commitment to research excellence and impactful scholarship. In addition, Prof. Majdah Zawawi represented AIKOL as a panelist in the forum titled “Restructuring Higher Education Alliances for a Sustainable Learning Society,” where she shared AIKOL’s perspectives on strengthening regional academic partnerships.
In conjunction with the conference, AIKOL collaborated with the Harun M. Hashim Law Centre to establish a promotional booth highlighting the Kulliyyah’s postgraduate programmes. The exhibition showcased AIKOL’s diverse postgraduate offerings, including the Master of Laws (LL.M.) programmes in Business Law, International Law, Islamic Banking and Finance, and Administration of Islamic Law, alongside the postgraduate diplomas in Administration of Islamic Judiciary (DAIJ) and Shariah and Legal Practice (DSLP), as well as the Master in Comparative Laws. The initiative served as a platform to engage prospective postgraduate students and promote AIKOL’s academic programmes to an international audience.
Beyond the conference, the delegation held a series of strategic meetings with key legal institutions in the Maldives to explore avenues for future collaboration. Discussions with representatives of the Judicial Academy and the Prosecutor General’s Academy focused on establishing a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The proposed collaboration will facilitate professional training programmes covering emerging legal issues, including cybercrime, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence, in partnership with the Harun M. Hashim Law Centre. Senior representatives from the Supreme Court of the Republic of Maldives, the Judicial Academy, and the Prosecutor General’s Academy attended the meetings, reflecting a strong mutual commitment to institutional cooperation.
The delegation also met with the leadership of the Maldives National University to activate collaborative initiatives under the existing Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions. Discussions centred on developing hybrid postgraduate programmes and joint postgraduate supervision arrangements, further strengthening academic exchanges and research collaboration between AIKOL and the Faculty of Shariah and Law of the Maldives National University.
The educational mission reaffirmed AIKOL’s commitment to advancing internationalisation and fostering meaningful partnerships with institutions across the region. Through academic excellence, institutional engagement, and collaborative initiatives, the visit has laid a strong foundation for future cooperation in legal education, research, professional training, and postgraduate development.
The delegation returned to Malaysia on 2 September 2026, with follow-up initiatives including the formal signing of the new Memorandum of Understanding with the Judicial Academy and Prosecutor General’s Academy, as well as the implementation of joint academic programmes with the Maldives National University. These developments are expected to further enhance AIKOL’s role as a leading institution in legal education and international academic collaboration.
