(July 26th, 2021)

UNTIRTA International Service Center in collaboration with the State Buddhist College and Buddist and Pali University of Srilangka held an International Webinar themed Faith and Tolerance in Southeast Asia’s Higher Education Institutions: Challenges and Prospect” online on July 26, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. This webinar presented The Rector of Untirta Prof. Dr. Ir. Fatah Sulaiman, S.T, M.T, Prof. Gallele Sumanasiri Thero from Buddist and Pali University of Srilangka, and Dr. Li Edi Ramawijaya Putra, M.Pd from the State Buddhist And Buddist College as speakers. The event, moderated by Dr. Udi Samanhudi, was attended by 194 participants from sharing institutions in Indonesia and several countries in Southeast Asia, such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

In the first session, Rector Untirta explained about tolerance as the key to harmony in diversity. With tribal, cultural, and religious religious religious, Indonesia needs tolerance which is interpreted as mutual respect, cooperation, piety to God, universal brotherhood, protection of rights and acceptance of differences. Prof. Gallele Sumanasiri Thero discusses faith, religious toleration, and universities. In his presentation, Prof. Gallele emphasized the role of humans on earth from a religious point of view, namely as a peace-carrying agent in the world that frees the world from greed, anger, hatred, and hostility.

Closing the presentation session, Dr. Li Edi Ramawijaya Putra, M.Pd discussed measures to strengthen and increase religious intolerance in higher education institutions. In fact, the Indonesian government has mandated the integration of religious toleration in the Indonesian education curriculum. As stated in Ministerial Policy no.3 of 2020. It can be concluded the importance of the role of intellectuals and higher education institutions in promoting tolerance for the creation of religious harmony.